Sir Malcolm Grant CBE visits Sheffield regions’ National Test Bed Innovation Centre
NHS England Chair Professor Sir Malcolm Grant CBE has visited one of the national ‘Test Bed’ innovation centres taking part in a major drive to modernise how health and wellbeing services are delivered in England.
The Sheffield City region’s ‘Perfect Patient Pathway’ Test Bed is one of seven national hubs where collaboration between the NHS, other providers of care, along with industry innovators is aiming to harness technology to address some of the most complex issues facing patients and the health service.
The Perfect Patient Pathway Test Bed based at Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust involves more than 30 partners including the region’s NHS, Social Care, Industry, Academic and Voluntary organisations.
Perfect Patient Pathway focuses on people with multiple long term conditions. By using new technology, coupled with new ways of delivering care, the intention is to keep people with these conditions well, independent and avoiding crisis points which often result in hospital admission, intensive rehabilitation and a high level of social care support.
The development of a range of home-based monitoring devices and smart phone applications will mean people can be supported to understand their condition and how they can manage it at home. It will include monitoring falls risk, tracking locations for people with dementia as well as sensors in the home, for example, on televisions, kettles and fridges to monitor mobility, nutrition and general wellbeing.
Data received from these devices will then be collated and interpreted in an intelligence centre and then transmitted to either their GP, hospital, community health service or social care so that a timely and effective response can be provided which prevents them deteriorating or becoming ill.
Sir Andrew Cash, Chief Executive of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Professor Sir Malcolm Grant visited the Perfect Patient Pathway Test Bed and in particular our innovation hub to meet some of the region’s health and social care providers, a number of technology and research organisations and most importantly members of the Sheffield population. He saw how by utilising this combined expertise we will be able to share data and plan, in partnership with citizens, the best way to deliver care to people with long term conditions based on their needs using some of the latest technologies.”
Professor Sir Malcolm Grant CBE, said: “I was very interested to see the rapid progress being made with Sheffield's Perfect Patient Pathway. The NHS needs to make use of all the technologies that are now available to help patients manage their long-term health conditions. The Sheffield approach creates an environment in which exciting new technologies can be developed and trialled in real-world conditions, with a view to their being rolled out to patients across England. We need to ensure the NHS is a world-leader in supporting patients in this way.”
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