Academic Researchers

Companies and organisations are being invited to bid for funding to develop solutions to challenges in urgent and emergency care.

Companies have until 27th August to apply for up to £100,00 to test the feasibility of a concept which has the potential to make an impact.  Successful projects can then apply for stage 2 funding which in the past has been up to £1m.

The ever increasing pressures on hospital emergency departments (EDs) are well documented globally and not just in the NHS and, despite many years of innovation, growth in numbers arriving at the doors of the ED continues. The reasons for this growth are multifactorial and some demographics show particular issues: children and young people have a significantly higher inappropriate/non-urgent attendance at ED than adults and the proportion of those of all ages with respiratory conditions has grown rapidly over the past few years.

There are some signs of ability to reduce this growth significantly from the work done in the Vanguards, which recognise the need to address the wider system and not simply provide point solutions. This is referenced in the NHS Long Term Plan that has very ambitious targets for reducing hospital admissions.

This competition seeks to address two primary issues, taking into account the systemic complexity and recognising some of the key demographic differences. So the request is for solutions that will:

1. Reduce demand a. Recognising differences for adults vs children and young people b. Recognising that respiratory conditions in all ages account for a rapidly growing proportion of attendances
2. Reduce the length of stay in the Emergency Department a. By more efficient triage, streaming and treatment b. By more efficient discharge or admission to the hospital

Supporting documentation

•  ITT
•  Applicant and portal guidance
•  Template application form
•  FAQs

Click here for more information