Funds of £140 million will be made available over three years to accelerate the testing, and evaluation, of ‘the most promising’ AI technologies that meet the strategic aims within the NHS Long Term Plan. The regional Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network is supporting this new Health and Care Award.
Following a keynote speech by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, at the Healthtech Alliance, (Jan 28), it was announced that a new competition to speed up testing and delivery of potential NHS tools was being launched..
The Award is run by the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC), in which the AHSN Network is a key member, in partnership with NHSX and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). It is part of the £250 million funding given by the Department for Health and Social Care to NHSX to establish an AI Lab aimed at improving the health and lives of patients. The Award forms a key part of the AAC’s ambition to establish a globally leading testing infrastructure for innovation in the UK
The Award will support technologies across the spectrum of development: from initial feasibility and conception through to initial NHS adoption and testing of the AI technology within clinical pathways.
Initially, it will focus on four key areas: screening, diagnosis, decision support and improving system efficiency.
A call for applications for the Award will run at least twice a year through an open competition to identify appropriate AI technologies for support into the NHS. The application process for the first competition opened on 28 January 2020 and closes at 1.00pm on 4 March 2020. Applicants will be able to identify which phase they should apply for using the self-assessment criteria. Full details are available here.