Innovative Devices Pilot Expo

Fay Allen and Jo Norris our Innovation Specialists, recently attended the Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP) Expo. This was a great opportunity for them to network and learn more about the innovations chosen, and to meet entrepreneurs dedicated to making a difference to the lives of patients.

The event was hosted by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and attended by representatives of the companies whose devices have been selected for support from the IDAP pilot, along with colleagues from NHS England (NHSE), the National institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and British Trade Associations. 

The IDAP pilot, is an initiative to bring new medical technologies to the NHS to help with medical needs that are currently unmet.  The aim is to enable and improve patient access to innovative and transformative medical devices, by providing an integrated and enhanced regulatory and access pathway to developers. It stems from the Life Sciences Vision, published in July 2021, which set out the government’s intention to strengthen access and uptake of innovation, and create an outstanding environment for life sciences businesses to start, grow and invest.

By collaborating with key strategic partners in the programme we can ensure medical technologies that influence patient pathways, address inequalities, and address unmet clinical need can reach patients where they are needed.

A significant number of the innovators they met were SMEs, many of whom are also clinicians supported by the NHS Access Collaborative Clinical Entrepreneur Programme who have developed their innovations whilst continuing to work in the NHS, and it was inspiring to hear them speak so passionately about their products and the difference they make to patient care.

Fay and Jo were also fortunate to meet Baroness Gillian Merron, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health, and Mental Health (pictured), who firmly believes innovation is key to helping the NHS by driving better outcomes to improve the system, and that it is crucial to work with procurement to ensure SMEs can be key players in Government contracts.

See our Useful Links section for more information – all of the technologies would be classed as disruptive under the DHSC innovation classification system.