People with potentially life-changing injury, trauma and illness deserve the best rehabilitation. New technology is key to advancing this. The NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Rehabilitation based at Nottingham University Hospital focuses on developing and applying new technologies to transform patients’ lives.
Medical advances have significantly improved survival rates after major injury and illness. However, these life-saving advances have not been matched by the same improvement in rehabilitation to ensure recovery towards good quality of life. For many patients, their ongoing needs are currently not met, and it is estimated that one in three people will require rehabilitation at some point.
The day focused on highlighting how industry and specifically SME’s can access support to accelerate the development of new technologies to support rehab, with this event specifically focusing on innovation for the working age and older populations. Delegates were treated to an excellent overview of the RehabHRC, established in 2024 and funded for five years, in response to the clinical and academic excellence in the East Midlands. As part of the day delegates were also able to book private meetings with the theme leads to enable the development of collaborations, as well as commercialisation advice such as funding, intellectual property, public patient involvement and health economics. Further innovation events well be held throughout the year.