Biomedical science companies with technologies that could improve the quality of healthcare for cardiovascular patients are being invited to take part in the Smart Solutions for Healthcare programme.
The new programme is intended to help the NHS to make significant improvements in quality, innovation, productivity and prevention.
It is open to companies and other non-NHS organisations within any sector.
Products or services must address the priority areas of cardiovascular disease (including aneurysm, angina, atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation, cerebrovascular accident or stroke, cerebrovascular disease, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction [or heart attack], venous thromboembolism peripheral vascular disease and hypertension) or long-term conditions (including respiratory conditions, cancer, diabetes, renal disease, hypothyroidism and epilepsy).
Entries will be assessed by a panel of experts and between four and 10 products and services will be selected to undergo evaluation, depending on the type of technology and the scale of evaluation necessary to provide robust evidence of their effectiveness.
Smart Solutions for Healthcare will offer successful applicants the opportunity to base their project team in the north west, making office space and facilities available in the Manchester Medical Technology Development Centre as part of the award funding.
The programme is being delivered by Trustech.
Programme director Dr Bryan Griffiths said: 'We need to find smarter solutions and new ways of working and we will be challenging industry and other innovation suppliers to help us do this.
'In many cases, new technologies, devices and services will be required to help change the way care is delivered.
'Smart Solutions for Healthcare will consider all of these, as well as disruptive system changes that offer entirely new approaches to diagnosis and treatment.
'We are specifically interested in new technologies, products, services and the application of scientific advances that enable patients to have a greater role in managing their own health or help healthcare providers improve staff productivity and eliminate waste,' he added.
The closing date for applications is 6 April 2011.
Smart Solutions for Healthcare is supported by NHS North West, Nesta, the Northwest Development Agency, England's Northwest, Manchester City Council, Manchester: Knowledge Capital and New Economy through the Innovation Investment Fund Partnership.
This latest initiative follows the success of Smart Solutions for HCAI, a previous programme seeking new technologies to combat healthcare-associated infections.
