Government launches new scheme supporting patients with debilitating diseases

The government has launched a new scheme which is hoped to give greater support to patients with debilitating diseases such as incontinence and renal failure through the development of new healthcare products.

Public health minister Dawn Primarolo unveiled plans for the Healthcare Technology Co-operative pilots which will bring together patients, doctors, scientists and manufacturers to boost the development of new products.

Pilots will be launched at Barts and the London NHS trust with the two centres receiving 275,000 pounds a year each for the first two years.

The initiative will ensure patients and professionals work together from the start, so as to speed up the development of new technology that will help patients.

Ms Primarolo illustrated that debilitating diseases had traditionally seen under-funded and slow-paced health research initiatives.

However, she claimed: “These pilots will help change that and should have a real positive impact of the lives of people with debilitating diseases.”

Ms Primarolo ended by indicating that the collaborations between the interest parties held “tremendous promise” to improve patient care in such an important clinical area.

Also this week, the public health minister announced a 26.8 million pound funding boost to improve young people’s access to contraception.