Professor Mike Lewis, scientific director for innovation on the Nationwide Institute for Well being and Care Analysis (NIHR) (Credit score: NIHR)
The Nationwide Institute for Well being and Care Analysis (NIHR) has introduced greater than £1.5 million of funding for 17 HealthTech tasks to scale back ready instances for kids and younger individuals in want of psychological healthcare and assist.
Youngsters and younger individuals within the UK typically face lengthy waits for psychological well being companies and neurodevelopmental assessments, which may worsen situations, disrupt training, improve household stress, and drive up healthcare prices.
The NIHR funding is for options that may assist to streamline companies, detect issues earlier, and ship well timed, personalised assist.
They embody AI and digital instruments designed to identify early indicators of autism, predict what assist youngsters would possibly want and join bodily and psychological well being in a single platform.
Professor Mike Lewis, scientific director for innovation at NIHR, mentioned: “We’re proud to announce NIHR funding for 17 revolutionary well being applied sciences that can make an actual distinction for kids and younger individuals who want psychological well being assist.
“Decreasing ready instances is significant to bettering psychological well being outcomes, and by innovating in each group and hospital settings, we’re serving to youngsters and younger individuals get the care they want, after they want it.”
The tasks are funded by means of the Invention for Innovation (i4i) Funding on the Velocity of Translation (FAST) programme, in partnership with the NIHR HealthTech (HRC) Analysis Centre in Paediatrics and Youngster Well being.
One mission will develop and take a look at an AI triage instrument inside a digital well being platform referred to as EnrichMyCare, which is used within the NHS to assist households share necessary details about their baby’s wants and growth.
The brand new AI instrument will advocate the proper care pathway, predict what companies must be concerned and ease strain on clinicians, serving to households get assist sooner.
One other mission is testing a digital triage system to prioritise youngsters on neurodevelopmental ready lists by severity of want. It makes use of HealthTracker, a longtime instrument in baby well being companies that collects data from households and screens signs.
Professor Paul Dimitri, director of the NIHR HRC in Paediatrics and Youngster Well being, mentioned: “Youngsters and younger individuals with psychological well being challenges and neurodevelopmental situations together with ADHD and autism deserve well timed, personalised care and know-how has an important function to play in making that doable.
“On the HRC, we’re targeted on accelerating improvements that cut back delays, empower households, and assist clinicians with smarter instruments.
“The NIHR i4i FAST funding to assist these firms in growing very important applied sciences marks an important step towards constructing a extra responsive and equitable system for the youngsters and younger individuals who want it most.”
In the meantime, in July 2025, two medical applied sciences tackling mind damage from Addenbrooke’s Hospital, a part of Cambridge College Hospitals NHS Basis Belief, obtained a share of £3m in funding from NIHR by means of the i4i FAST Awards.
