Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust (SHSC) will play a key role in the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s (NIHR) new research centre based in Sheffield. The centre, which will launch next Spring, will drive life-changing research into health technologies.
The Sheffield NIHR HealthTech Research Centre, hosted by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is one of 14 opening nationally which will look to develop new technologies and devices to support people with long term conditions.
The work will cover eight themes:
- Kidney care
- Long term neurological conditions
- Women’s health
- Diabetes
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Rehabilitation
- Assistive and restorative technologies
- Methodological innovation
- Pathways to implementation and impact
SHSC will work on the mental health and wellbeing theme, which works across the other aspects of this research, recognising that common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety problems often coexist with neurological and chronic health conditions, and need just as much care and attention.
The Trust will work to ensure that any innovations which come out of this research are made to provide personalised care with service users’ dignity and wellbeing prioritised.
This will also include opportunities for service users and Trust staff to get involved as the project goes forward.
Nick Bell, director of research development at SHSC, said: “We are proud to be a partner in the Devices for Dignity HealthTech Research Centre. We look forward to working together with universities, healthcare providers, service users and the public to develop innovations that improve health and the quality of people’s daily lives.”
Professor Wendy Tindale OBE, clinical director of Devices for Dignity and scientific and innovation director at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are looking forward to working with colleagues at Sheffield Health and Social Care, together with our other national partners, to drive forward the development of medical technologies to the benefit of patients and the wider NHS.”
The £3m research centre will open from 1 April 2024.
The Sheffield centre will be a partnership with the city's universities and institutions across the country including universities and NHS Trusts in Cambridge, Coventry, Leeds, London, Manchester and Rotherham and Doncaster as well as industry, healthcare professionals, patient groups and the public.
To find out more about this research, or to register your interest for future involvement, please contact nicholas.bell@shsc.nhs.uk
