Supporting the response to COVID-19: Innovative work from Medilink SW Members
Join the Medilink SW COVID-19 Response Register
Now that our partners across the NHS and social care are mobilised at scale in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of England’s Medilink Networks is to support them by helping them take full advantage of the most relevant innovations and technologies that can improve care for patients and support our services in this challenging context. Nationally, the Medilink Network is part of a coordinated NHS response to identify and enable the implementation of technologies that respond to areas of highest priority action, in particular solutions for remote consultation and patient monitoring, diagnostics and point-of-care testing.
How to get in touch
Each regional expression of the Medilink Network are actively supporting the NHS and social care system regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. If you would like advice on immediate or future needs, and how best to present your offer to local and/ or national commissioners, please contact us.
Support for innovators
The government has provided national guidance on where to register products to support the COVID-19 response. If you are a company or an innovator with a potential COVID-19 related solution, you can also contact the relevant national agency direct:
PPE (Personal Protection Equipment)
Contact the Surgical MedTech Co-operative (one of NIHR’s Medtech and In vitro diagnostics Co-operatives) if you have a technology that could be adapted quickly for the healthcare setting to help protect healthcare workers against aerosol contamination. Find out more about their ‘COVID-19 PPE Challenge’ here.
Vaccines
Contact Public Health England: nervtag@phe.gov.ukVentilators
Contact the Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS): ventilator.support@beis.gov.uk or call 0300 456 3565Innovation and Tech
Contact NHSX: DNHSX@nhsx.nhs.uk
If you have a tech innovation that can support vulnerable people who are isolated, visit the NHSX TechForce19 website.Diagnostics
Contact Public Health England: coviddiagnostics@phe.gov.uk
General
The UK government has set up a service allowing businesses to share any support that might help the COVID-19 response, from PPE and medical testing equipment to transport/logistics and warehouse space. Find out more here.
If you have any other solutions (not specifically COVID-19 related) that could be useful to the health and care system during this unprecedented time, you can access our partner organisation, the West of England AHSN for advice and support by visiting the Innovation Exchange website.
Regional Medilink support
During this current period of extreme operational pressure, Medilink SW will be supporting our members and partners on the frontline and in planning and operations by offering the most appropriate assistance as and when required. This will include supporting the implementation of technology to maximise the use of remote consultations and online guidance, freeing up valuable clinician time and reducing the risk of transmission. To date this support has involved:
Supporting the NHS in the rapid uptake of digital solutions for use in primary care, including remote triage/ access and remote consultations.
Coordinating a COVID-19 Response Register for the South West alongside managing the wider portfolio of potential solutions that could help with the exponential need for digital health tech solutions in the NHS, private sector and care homes.
Supporting those of our members in need of laboratory and prototyping facilities in order to produce PPE, Ventilators and more.
We are working closely with our regional associates to coordinate this support, but if you would like to speak to us, please do get in touch.