Institution news
Engineering and technology are vital to promote health, fitness and wellbeing. It is crucial that we invest in the health of our population, not only because good health is desirable, but also because it is an important determinant of economic growth and competitiveness, says
Dr Helen Meese, Head of
Healthcare.
The Institution is recognised as a key thought-leader across the biomedical engineering sector; providing guidance to government agencies, healthcare professionals, and the media.
As part of the Institution's Manifesto for 2017, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers is calling for all political parties to commit to:
1. Negotiate for a Med Tech compliancy arrangement with the EU to ensure continuity in the CE marking process for UK manufacturers. This arrangement should be supported by parallel policies to encourage long-term investment in the sector. The goal is to attract Medical Technology SMEs to the UK through clear support for innovation and product development.
2. Create a national remote health monitoring (RHM) network which integrates acute and social care sectors by 2022. A key element will be standardisation of RHM technology that enables patient data to be accessed anywhere in the hospital and social care network. RHM could ease the pressures of bed blocking, which cost the NHS £820m in 2015, and could support care initiatives for patients outside hospital.
3. Ring fence areas of NHS land earmarked for sale, to build ‘cognitive home’ communities for the over 65s; designed with older people in mind. Providing cost effective accommodation close to NHS facilities, which includes personalised assistive technology and dedicated GP services, could address the predicted 160,000 shortage in retirement homes by 2030.
4. Create a dedicated medical technology catapult from the existing 15 Academic Health Science Networks. This will drive nationwide uptake of cost effective medical devices and technology within the NHS, rather than fragmentary development across different regions. The catapult should be the driver to ensure that the Department of Health implements the Accelerated Access Review for medical devices and equipment.
5. Introduce advanced GP surgeries with in-house early diagnosis technology for cancer, liver, lung and blood testing. By enabling patients to be tested in their locale, not overburdening hospitals, waiting times and referrals could be reduced to days not weeks saving hundreds of pounds per patient.
Discover our manifestos for other sectors: