WIsH - Welsh Innovations in Healthcare
NHS Staff Entry
What is a healthcare innovation?
Typically, healthcare innovations include:
- Improvements in patient care and healthcare management.
- New or improved methods, ideas or prototypes for:
- Medical Devices and Equipment
- Diagnostics and Therapeutics
- Software & IT systems
- Training & Education products
I am developing an innovation – what should I do?
Think about your innovation and the questions below:
- Does your idea solve an identifiable problem within the NHS?
- Does your idea provide benefits to patient care/healthcare delivery?
- Could your idea provide cost-benefits to your Trust and/or the wider NHS?
- Could your innovation be introduced into other NHS organisations?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions, contact WIsH today. WIsH will evaluate your innovation and provide appropriate advice to you and your Trust on how best to proceed with the innovation.
What happens next?
A WIsH Manager will arrange to speak to you about your innovation. This may be on the phone or in person. We are happy to arrange meetings at your Trust to fit around your work schedule.
If the innovation is a technology, such as a new piece of equipment, you may also be asked to complete an invention record.
If the innovation is a novel service delivery innovation, you may be asked to complete a service innovation assessment form.
The WIsH Manager will conduct an initial assessment of the innovation and identify any associated intellectual property (IP). A report will be produced by WIsH and returned to the innovator(s) and the Trust.
Typically, WIsH will communicate with a representative from the Trust such as the Research & Development Manager or Service Modernisation Lead.
If the innovation is a technology or product, the WIsH report will make recommendations to advise on how best to protect and exploit the innovation. If the innovation is a service, WIsH will advise on how best to develop and disseminate the service.
What are the benefits?
In addition to improving healthcare with your idea, WIsH aims to ensure that innovators and their Trusts receive recognition for their efforts by promoting their successes and achievements throughout the NHS in Wales.
Typically, the NHS rewards members of staff, who develop good ideas which are turned into commercial products or services, by sharing any income generated with them (check your Trust’s IP policy for more information).
How are Innovations protected?
Some innovations can be protected by intellectual property rights. For further information, read What is IP?
How are innovations exploited?
There are several ways in which protected innovations can be exploited. Perhaps the simplest is through research collaborations. It is important when embarking on a research collaboration to have a clearly defined agreement in place covering issues such as future IP ownership. WIsH can provide advice on collaboration agreements.
Licensing is an effective way of controlling transfer of technology from a NHS Trust into Industry. When IP is licensed it enables the NHS Trust to retain ownership and hence control of the IP, whilst also generating income through royalty payments from its use by a company.
Assignment is the transfer, or sale, of intellectual property, usually for a lump sum payment and possibly in return for continuing royalty payments. In this case, ownership is transferred to the assignee and they take on all responsibility for the intellectual property and its protection and use.
Assignment may be useful if a spinout company is being set up and the intellectual property is required. Spinout companies are formed when the best way to exploit the technology is through a separate commercial operation.
What happens next?
If you and your Trust agree to commercialise your innovation, WIsH can help manage the process. This will typically include planning the best way forward and the initial identification of potential commercial partners to approach with the IP.
WIsH can assist in managing negotiations with commercial companies e.g. drafting Confidentiality Agreements.
WIsH can also advise on selecting the most suitable commercialisation route for your innovation e.g. Licensing, Assignment or Spin-out company formation.
WIsH can draft license or assignment documents to assist this process.