The UK Space Agency has today announced that it is allocating up to £4 million to find hi-tech solutions to the major health and care challenges facing the NHS in its 70th anniversary year in a joint initiative with NHS England.
These challenges, outlined by NHS England’s chief executive Simon Stevens in his speech to the NHS Confederation conference earlier this month, are:
- Managing long term conditions including joining up health and care services
- Earlier diagnosis of cancer
- Transforming GP services and other primary care
- Meeting mental health needs
Innovators will bid for money to turn technology originally designed for space, from exploration to satellite communications, into medical applications that improve NHS treatment and care.