NHS England has revealed today (9 April) four new innovations that are to be fast-tracked into the NHS via the Innovation and Technology Payment (ITP) programme.
Launched in June 2017, the ITP was created to help the NHS quickly adopt proven innovations, aims at finding low cost innovations that will save NHS money while improving patients’ outcomes, as NHS England said on its website.
NHS England has revealed today (9 April) four new innovations that are to be fast-tracked into the NHS via the Innovation and Technology Payment (ITP) programme.
Launched in June 2017, the ITP was created to help the NHS quickly adopt proven innovations, aims at finding low cost innovations that will save NHS money while improving patients’ outcomes, as NHS England said on its website.
The ITP scheme has been officially launched this month, after NHS England specified on their website that ‘the implementation of any agreed payment mechanism or procurement will be operational from April 2018.’
The successful applicants
The four innovations to be fast-tracked through the programme are:
- HeartFlow, a software that can rapidly diagnose patients with suspected coronary artery disease and avoid invasive investigations such as coronary angiography;
- Plus Sutures, a new type of surgical suture which reduces the rate of surgery-linked infection;
- Endocuff Vision, a device that improves colorectal examination for patients undergoing bowel cancer tests. Every year, around 34,000 people get diagnosed with bowel cancer, making it the fourth most common cancer in England;
- SecurAcath, a device to secure catheters which cuts the risk of infections for patients with a peripherally inserted central catheter.
‘Improve patient safety’
Now in its second year to identify and accelerate the implementation of innovations in the NHS, the programme has already benefitted 75,000 patients, said NHS England.
NHS England’s 15 Academic Health Science Networks will work to ensure the innovations are implemented locally.
Chief executive of NHS England Simon Stevens, who launched the ITP at a conference in 2017, said: ‘From the very beginning the NHS has been at the forefront of driving innovation, as we celebrate the NHS’s 70th birthday the NHS continues to champion innovation.
‘These technologies will improve patient safety and potentially reduce the need for invasive and expensive tests.’
