As NHS innovation experts, TRUSTECH often hears from NHS commissioners and providers that limited time and resource to identify and evaluate new ideas is holding NHS organisations back from adopting new innovations. It is often a daunting task, with a vast array of companies out there saying they have the next hot product.
It is evident that a rigorous and methodological approach to identifying and assessing solutions is demanded. Rigorous and methodological are inherent in the style of Dragons’ Den initiatives that we deliver, which involve a wide group of potential end users (including patients and staff) across a series of evaluation stages.
We assist NHS organisations to deliver Dragons’ Den programmes, helping them to simplify the process of identifying and evaluating innovations that could have a positive impact on the health and well-being of not only their patients, but the wider NHS. For anyone with the next big idea, whether they’re individual entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals or SMEs, it is an opportunity to showcase their innovations in front of key decision makers to compete for a funded evaluation.
Often the ‘Dragons’ include management, governing body members and other stakeholders, so it really opens the doors for people which is why it draws such high responses. The type of innovations unveiled during these programmes is equally as impressive, from simple solutions to ground-breaking medical technologies. The pool of ideas we’ve seen recently has been astounding.
In 2015 we ran a Dragons’ Den for NHS Oldham CCG. The programme revealed a very interesting range of ideas from patient monitoring solutions, to technology that assists with falls and fracture prevention. A number of technologies submitted to the call are about to commence in-situ evaluation, which may ultimately help them to be commissioned.
In 2016, NHS Salford CCG also enlisted TRUSTECH’s help to find digital health technologies that can be used to improve the lives of its patients.
Their Dragons’ Den call attracted more than 120 submissions from companies and organisations around the world, eager to bid for a share of the £450,000 fund available.
The NHS Salford CCG process is still underway, and a number of applicants will shortly pitch their solutions to the Dragons.
What makes our projects so different is that unlike other innovation services, we are an NHS organisation, so are best placed to provide a top level management innovation service that is relevant to the NHS.
Our Dragons’ Den programmes inject an element of creativity and interest into the task of discovering and reviewing innovations, and because the format is so adaptable it has certainly carved a place in the future of commissioning. Initiatives like this are instrumental in helping the NHS become more innovative, so if your organisation could benefit from a Dragons’ Den programme, or a similar project, get started with TRUSTECH today.