 |
|
|
Banking on quality underpins ways to gain NHS new income
[29th September 2008] Since 2001 the NHS has been enabled to earn income from its own innovative ideas, having previously been prevented from profiting from such ingenuity.
It was Midlands ex-banker Martin Levermore who saw licensing of simple NHS-originated ideas as the best way to protect the NHS from risk, yet provide valuable income from innovation. He could see external market opportunities being pursued, whilst preventing ‘commercial congestion’ clogging up the NHS’ daily work of care.
A move into early e-commerce in the late nineties endowed Martin with experience that led to his involvement with a Midlands, healthcare-focused marketing group considering how to develop NHS-based intellectual property. Martin comments: “The group’s spread was too wide for objective market-focus. However, I saw how product licensing offered the NHS a springboard into external markets.”
Martin created his MDTi business-plan, based on a portfolio of basic, innovative, NHS-developed devices, with volume market potential. World-wide licensing arrangements with the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Hospitals Trust (RWHT), in 2005, saw MDTi begin to sub-contract product manufacturing and develop routes to markets; within a year three products were successfully launched.
Martin says: “We’ve established long-term partnerships with local manufacturers on whom we can depend for quality – so crucial in medical markets where ultimate users can be ill or vulnerable. We’re collaborators with medical professionals in treating and rehabilitating patients.”
MDTi is uncompromising. Its priority was quality accreditation for its supply chain. As with all MDTi activities, Martin sought a partner and medical supplier network, Medilink West Midlands, guided him to Birmingham City University’s Business Solutions team for support.
Martin Levermore explains: “We needed meticulous rigour for regulatory approvals. We’ll market 20 products by 2010 and need confidence in supplier quality and reliability. Birmingham City University’s Technology Innovation Centre (tic) team guided our quality-control methods and supplier selection.”
TIC support was co-funded through the West Midlands Manufacturing Advisory Service and the West Midlands Technology Network. Through tic, prime accreditations were achieved: ISO 9001, for product and process quality, and ISO 13485 specifically, for medical devices, followed by international environmental standard approval, ISO 14001, to meet the US Federal Drug Agency’s demands.
Martin Levermore comments: “tic support was excellent, to take us unhindered towards our 2010 target. Our products offer patient comfort and relief at competitive cost. They fall into four product sectors: orthopaedic and rehabilitation devices; intravenous and dressing accessories; aids for personal - male and female - relief and paediatrics.”
MDTi’s first product, the Hook-It, illustrates its Midlands-focused sourcing policy. Made by Telford plastics’ supplier, Maxell, well-known for audio-visual products, the Hook-It eliminates drip stands - and several sources of infection - from precious hospital bed-space. It can be sterilised easily and is high-quality to withstand regular autoclaving. Launch products Hook-It, Ortho-glide lower leg exerciser and Femmax dilators – are all simple, plastic, infection-resistant designs and Midlands-made. Martin concludes: “With seven products launched and eleven more licences agreed, we’re growing markets, guarding quality and building solid partnerships with the NHS, manufacturers and users.”
MDTi already works with RWHT and Newcastle-on-Tyne’s Freeman Hospital Trust, with similar NHS trust relationships growing. RWHT’s R&D Directorate Manager
Yvonne Hague says: "The MDTi licencing arrangements are really valuable. We have local, reliable sources of high-quality products, which we designed to help patients. However, we don't have the liability of commerce in managing manufacturing quality assurance and increasing sales, but do have worthwhile Trust income from the licences. This arrangement maximises the skills between the public and private partnership and increases benefits to all parties involved"
For more information, contact Shirley Atkin, Operations Director, MDTi on 01902 778 380 or e-mail shirley.atkin@mdti.co.uk or the Business Solutions team at TIC on 0121 331 5400 or e-mail enquiries@tic.ac.uk.
|
:: News Archive
|
