Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) has strengthened its partnership with medical technology company, Medtronic, with an agreement to co-develop new health technology solutions with a focus on robotic surgery and artificial intelligence (AI).<\/p>\n
The two organisations have signed a UK-first RDI (Research, Development and Innovation) collaboration agreement that will streamline the collaboration process on mutually beneficial research and innovation projects in four main areas: cardiovascular, neuroscience, medical surgery and diabetes.<\/p>\n
Building on the already successful relationships the Trust has with other industry partners; this partnership will accelerate the development of medtech solutions for unmet clinical needs that could ultimately benefit patients and healthcare providers globally.<\/p>\n
\nDr Katherine Boylan, Deputy Managing Director of Research and Innovation (Innovation) at MFT, said:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWe are delighted to sign this partnership agreement which highlights our existing strong commercial relationship with Medtronic, allowing us to capitalise on opportunities to work together. Medtronic\u2019s standing as one of the largest, most innovative healthtech companies in the world aligns perfectly with the innovation ambitions of MFT.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis collaboration provides a huge opportunity to pioneer breakthroughs in healthcare and accelerate our joint projects to design and deliver innovative research that will really make a difference in the NHS, to benefit people in Greater Manchester and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The partnership will be supported by MFT\u2019s Clinical Data Science Unit which safely and efficiently transforms anonymised clinical data for public and professional benefit, using a state-of-the-art Trusted Research Environment. This data will support the development of new innovations ensuring the NHS is fit for the future.<\/p>\n
The partnership will also provide opportunities for MFT\u2019s existing hosted infrastructure, including the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Emergency and Acute Care, with the strategic focus to utilise new technology to meet the big 3 shifts from the NHS 10 Year Plan, including hospital to community and analogue to digital, by increasing remote patient monitoring and community-based care complimented by Medtronic\u2019s product portfolio.<\/p>\n
\nDr. Matthew Williams-Gray, Senior Director of UK & Ireland at Medtronic, said:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWe are thrilled to strengthen our longstanding partnership with MFT through this groundbreaking RDI collaboration agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis partnership aligns perfectly with Medtronic\u2019s commitment to pioneering innovative health technology solutions that address unmet clinical needs. By co-developing novel solutions in cardiovascular, neuroscience, medical surgery, and diabetes, we aim to accelerate the transformation of healthcare and improve patient outcomes. Together, we are poised to make a significant impact on the NHS.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The new agreement between MFT and Medtronic will build on the two organisation\u2019s existing partnership which has been delivering improved care and better clinical outcomes for patients over the past decade through the piloting of medical technology solutions in hospitals operated by the trust, including\u00a0\u2018TriageHP Plus\u2019<\/a>, a remote heart monitoring pathway which has proven to dramatically reduce the number of hospitalisations due to heart failure.<\/p>\n
In October 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended NHS use of the pathway for heart failure patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (such as pacemakers).<\/p>\n