Yorkshire & Humber AHSN logo.jpg                   Cancer Alliance Logo.jpg                      NHS Logo.jpg

Cash Boost For Innovation - Successful Bids For Funding Announced

A financial awards scheme to promote innovation in cancer care and services and improve patient experience has been launched by West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance, in partnership with Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network. 

Individual grants of between £10k and £70k were on offer, and patients are set to benefit following successful applications from four NHS Trusts and a Primary Care Network, announced this week.

NHS Trusts Airedale General Hospital; Bradford Teaching Hospitals; Mid Yorkshire Hospitals and Leeds Teaching Hospitals join Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven's Modality Primary Care Network in securing financial support for projects which will speed up the path of innovation to 'business as usual'.

Read more - access a brief summary of each of the projects.

All the projects support the objectives of the Cancer Alliance around early diagnosis - for 75% of cancers to be diagnosed at stage one or two and for an additional 55,000 patients each year to survive five years or more following their cancer diagnosis.

light bulb innovation.jpegApplicants were asked to define how their proposals would support one or more of the following key activities:

  • Clinical decision making
  • Rule in/out tests for cancer
  • ​​Digitally supported triage
  • Workflow management
  • Risk stratification of patients
  • Innovations which support adopt and adapt blueprints
  • Identify, implement and spread proven innovations that have been developed as  a result of the pandemic.

Prof Sean Duffy head and shoulders cropped July 2019.JPGProfessor Sean Duffy, WYH Cancer Alliance Clinical Lead, (pictured right), said the awards scheme would provide momentum to those innovative approaches devised and tested to deal with the challenges presented by Covid.

"Times have been tough over the past 18 months and there have been many examples where colleagues have been driven to find different ways of delivering care and providing services during the pandemic," said Professor Duffy.

"Our aim with this scheme is to encourage them to look at how these new ways of working could bring even further benefits to patients if adopted into mainstream services. We also hope to inspire colleagues through this scheme, and to stimulate the development of other innovations which build on the lessons we have learned.

"We have a good track record of fostering innovation in our region and working with our colleagues at the Academic Health Science Network, and we're confident of receiving a wide range of high quality applications."

Helen Hoyland YHAHSN.jpg Helen Hoyland, Programme Lead with Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, said: "We are   very excited to be supporting West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance with its   cancer innovation competition and I’m looking forward to participating in the panel   to review the amazing applications that are sure to come through.

 "This competition represents a great opportunity for NHS staff in West Yorkshire and   Harrogate to secure significant funding to help deliver their innovation in the region,   make a difference to patient’s lives and improve cancer survival rates.   

"The AHSN brings a wealth of experience in nurturing and delivering innovation in healthcare and we are committed to helping the spread and adoption of successful innovations in future.”

Launched earlier this year, the scheme was open to single organisations, as well as collaborative bids from a team or individuals on behalf of others across multiple footprints - organisational, geographical or by care setting - within West Yorkshire and Harrogate.

Eligible to apply were individuals and teams from primary care and also secondary care; voluntary or charitable sector organisations that have a proven track record of working with health and social care providers or commissioners.

A number of specific criteria were used to shortlist projects, including benefit to patients; sustainability and whether the project can fund itself in the long term; whether it could be applied elsewhere and how the impact of the project will be recorded and measured. 

Shortlisted applicants were required to deliver a presentation on their project to the assessment panel, which will be chaired by Professor Duffy and will include members of the Cancer Alliance community/patient panel. 

neon change.jpeg​​​​​​ For further information about the scheme, in the first   instance, contact the Cancer Alliance by email -     wakccg.wyandhcanceralliance@nhs.net

 Click here to read the press release announcing the   success applicants to the 2021 bursary scheme

 

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