East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN) has given two solutions the green light for further development as part of its Rural Health and Care Innovation Exchange.

EMAHSN will support demonstrator projects to test the real-world application and viability of two solutions and their potential for positive impact on the health, care and wellbeing of those living in remote and/or rural settings. The chosen initiatives are:

Increasing social connections for families to reduce loneliness and mental health issues – This solution will provide a secure, online platform that connects parents with the aim of reducing social isolation and preventing post-natal depression. It provides a safe place for members to arrange local playdates and social meet ups, helping to beat loneliness and build stronger local communities. 

The demonstrator will see EMAHSN provide funding and support for the roll-out of the online application across Derbyshire.

Point of Care (PoC) Testing – This solution will provide ‘on the spot’ blood tests in GP surgeries to determine whether conditions are bacterial or viral. A simple diagnostic will confirm or rule out antibiotics as an effective treatment option, reduce waits for routine pathology results and alert GPs to serious conditions such as meningitis and sepsis. 

EMAHSN is now working with Lakeside Healthcare Group - a federation of  GP practices that serves more than 150,000 patients across four of the East  Midlands’ counties - to demonstrate PoC Testing as part of its Lincolnshire primary care paediatric pathway. 

A third solution to provide NICE recommended cardiac rehabilitation exercise programmes to patients diagnosed with heart failure living in rural areas is also being explored as a potential future demonstrator project.

England’s 15 AHSNs are commissioned by the National Office for Life Sciences to deliver Innovation Exchanges, which aim to get new treatments and technologies to patients faster by proving their potential through real world demonstrators.

In partnership with the National Centre for Rural Health and Care, EMAHSN hosted an Innovation Exchange event at the end of 2018 focused on the specific challenges facing the delivery of health and care services to rural communities.   

More than 250 representatives from health, social care, voluntary sector, industry and patient groups came together to discuss ideas for improving the quality, value and positive impact of health and care services delivered for patients, carers and service-users in rural areas of the region.

Emerging themes and potential innovations were then taken forward by smaller, cross-sector ‘solution groups’ comprising representatives from health, social care, and industry partners.

Nine of the 15 solutions proposed were shortlisted for scoring by a virtual panel made up of organisations representing the East Midlands’ five Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) and the East Midlands PPI Senate. 

The panel then met to hear presentations on the final shortlist of five solution proposals, choosing both the social connections and PoC Testing proposals as their preferred solutions for EMAHSN support. 

The panel also recommended further development of the remote cardiac rehabilitation solution to explore whether this could help patients with cardio-vascular disease improve their wellbeing without having to travel long distances for weekly therapy.