Key stats

• 6% of the awards generated 568 unique medical products and interventions
• 2% of the awards generated 185 unique software and technical products
• 4% of the awards generated 354 unique registered, protected and licensed intellectual properties
• 1% of the awards generated 61 unique spin out companies

Case study: A device for dignity 

The “Head Up collar” is a neck support system that improves quality of life for people with motor neurone disease 

Motor neurone disease (MND), also called ALS, is a life-shortening illness where the death of nerve cells that control movement leads to muscle weakening and wasting. There is no cure for MND but some symptoms can be managed in order to lessen the impact on day to day life. One consequence of the disease can be loss of neck muscle strength, making it difficult or impossible for some people with MND to hold their heads up straight. People living with MND reported that existing products were uncomfortable, unattractive and restrictive. They identified better head and neck support as a priority to improve their quality of life. 

With funding from the MND Association, the NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme and Sheffield Hallam University, a revolutionary new support collar was designed and created with input from people affected by MND. The entire process, from initial conception to distribution, took about 7 years in total. The product was designed with input from people with MND and was tested in a clinical trial where 100 participants across 10 sites in the UK and Ireland tried out the collars. When the trial concluded, 80% of participants felt the collar helped them and wanted to carry on using it. This patented product is available through the NHS and at least 25 NHS trusts are using the collar.  

This device allows people with MND to do simple everyday things like eat, look someone in the eye, read a book or watch television. Going forward, this collar could benefit people with other conditions that lead to neck muscle problems, including spinal muscular atrophy, multiple sclerosis, stroke and Parkinson’s. 

Case study: The Heart Age Tool 

What age is your heart? A test available on the NHS website helps you assess the health of your heart and prompts you to make healthy lifestyle improvements 

Cardiovascular health is impacted by lifestyle factors like diet, exercise and smoking. Unhealthy lifestyle choices increase the risk of developing serious conditions including coronary heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. For these types of health conditions, preventative intervention is key and increasing public awareness and engagement is the best way to empower individuals to make positive changes. 

The British Heart Foundation, together with the NHS, Public Health England, University College London and Joint British Society, launched an online tool that allows people to assess the health of their heart based on 16 physical and lifestyle questions. The tool tells them what their heart age is and the percentage chance of having a heart attack or stroke over the next decade. They can then see how these could be improved if they lost weight, lowered their cholesterol or reduced their blood pressure. This digital tool is targeted at younger tech-savvy people who are less likely to visit their GP for routine health assessments. 

As of September 2018, the Heart Age Test had been completed more than 1.9 million times and received significant media coverage. Many newspapers shared the alarming fact that 4 out of 5 (78%) people who took the test have a heart age older than they are, and it was described by the BBC as “a wake-up call to make healthy changes”. The British Heart Foundation hopes that this tool will help them to convey the message that it’s never too late to change.