The healthcare associated infection (HCAI) Technology Innovation Programme provides support to emerging and established technologies, including patient-centred technologies.
The Department has made product surgeries available to commercial and public sector organisations having an interest in HCAI technology. The surgeries provide innovators with the opportunity to discuss their product development programme and get advice on how best to get their technologies quickly through the system and into the national health service, focusing on the Rapid Review Panel (RRP).
The RRP was set up in 2004 and provides a prompt assessment of new and novel equipment, materials, and other products or protocols that may be of value to the NHS in improving hospital infection control and reducing hospital associated infections.
A number of technologies have a RRP recommendation 1. These include both hands-on patient care and general cleaning procedures. They range from technologies that help with the decontamination of large areas like wards and side rooms, to those which help prevent infection when taking blood or giving injections.
The programme is currently piloting a project to support companies who have achieved a RRP recommendation 2. The innovators are able to access expert NHS advice concerning what further evidence needs to be generated to potentially improve the products RRP recommendation and, where appropriate, we will look to see if we might help them get the necessary evidence to show how they help reduce infection.
Where practical, technologies with a RRP recommendation 1 are placed in the supply chain catalogue as soon as possible after gaining their recommendation to make them readily available to the NHS. Details are also added to the website:
www.clean-safe-care.nhs.uk
The technologies are also showcased in selected showcase hospitals so that NHS practitioners can visit the hospitals and see the products being used.