VR stroke rehabilitation platform awarded NHS England funding

Technology company Reneural has been awarded funding from NHS England to develop its virtual reality (VR) stroke rehabilitation platform.

The project, which will be run in partnership with The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Brunel University London, will create a digital system that enables physiotherapists and occupational therapists to deliver and monitor stroke rehabilitation remotely.

It combines Reneural’s VR therapy platform with a clinician dashboard designed to improve access and efficiency for stroke patients with upper-limb mobility challenges.

The project is funded through NHS England’s New Hospital Programme.

Victor Harabari, chief executive of Reneural, said: “This partnership represents a significant step forward in our mission to transform neurorehabilitation.

“By combining our expertise with that of Hillingdon Hospitals and Brunel University of London, we are excited to develop innovative solutions that align with [the] NHS long term plan and enhance patient care.”

Reneural’s platform was one of 13 projects to receive funding from NHS England’s New Hospital Programme, which received 69 submissions in total.

Selected initiatives are expected to support care delivery closer to home while reducing demand on hospital estates, in keeping with the NHS long term plan and more recent 10 year health plan. 

The solution aims to reduce the need for in-person appointments, lower carbon emissions from travel and support more personalised and continuous care across settings.

Once development is complete, the system – if adopted – will support both in-hospital and community-based therapy, including early supported discharge teams at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust.

The collaboration includes clinicians and researchers from Hillingdon Hospitals, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust and Brunel University London, alongside Reneural’s product and engineering team.

Mixed-reality technologies are playing a growing role across NHS and social care settings, with emerging use cases ranging from rehabilitation and drug cessation to mental health therapy and pain management.

As well as involvement in this partnership, Brunel University is also leading a project which aims to improve regulation to bring more AI-powered healthcare products to the UK, such as diagnostics, smartphone apps and devices which predict and treat ill health.

It is one of seven centres of excellence for regulatory science and innovation (CERSIs), to receive up to £1 million in funding each to accelerate pathways for innovative medicines and devices.

Innovate UK, in partnership with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Office for Life Sciences, and the Medical Research Council, has selected the centres, which are intended to help researchers and businesses address regulatory challenges and opportunities.