£1m project explores how 5G can transform North East healthcare

A one-million-pound project will explore how 5G technologies can improve and speed up the delivery of healthcare services in the North East of England.

Businesses specialising in 5G technologies are invited to submit ideas for improving patient flow and discharge services through a 5G innovation acceleration programme, putting the North East at the forefront of a technological revolution in healthcare.

Working with CPI and partners, businesses can test their ideas and gain access to early-stage adoption pathways into health and care settings.

The 5G innovations that show the potential to improve health outcomes will be selected to be tested and upscaled in CPI’s 5G healthcare testbed environment.

The final two successful businesses that demonstrate the greatest clinical and economic impact will then move forward to be delivered in a real-world healthcare setting, such as a hospital or care home within the North East.

Should they prove successful, these 5G enabled innovations could have the potential for adoption spread across the UK’s 42 integrated care boards (ICBs).

Cllr Nick Kemp, portfolio holder for economy at the North East Combined Authority and leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “Our ambition is to become a region of excellence for 5G technology, and the combined authority continues to back innovative businesses to adopt technology, scale-up and grow.  

“This is crucial to the North East’s industrial strategy, where we want to build a stronger, more inclusive economy which delivers better public services and ensures everyone benefits from growth.

“This project provides a rare opportunity for businesses to test technology in health care and has the potential to transform services for patients”.

The North East Combined Authority has awarded the funding, which will be shared between CPI, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, the North East and North Cumbria ICB, Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, Boldyn Networks and Waymark.

Dr Stephen Lynn, associate director for Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, said: “Connectivity plays such a crucial role in health and care, allowing the transfer of data, messages and other communications to the right people and places at the right time.

“5G is a key piece of technology yet to be truly harnessed across health and care services in the North East, so working with innovators to address system challenges and provide benefit to the region is a brilliant opportunity.”