West Midlands health-tech breakthroughs promise faster treatment and thousands of jobs

New cancer tests, AI diagnosis and robotic surgery will cut NHS waiting times, improve patient care and create high-skilled jobs across the West Midlands.

Ground-breaking health technology developed and deployed in the West Midlands is helping patients get treated faster while boosting the regional economy.

Mayor Richard Parker and Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle MP visited Birmingham-based Nonacus and New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton today to see how innovation is changing lives and supporting the NHS.

They were joined by Councillor Stephen Simkins, Leader of Wolverhampton Council, at New Cross Hospital to see how innovation is changing lives and supporting the NHS.

It comes off the back of Richard Parker’s announcement that Health and Med-Tech is one of five key sectors that will drive economic growth in the West Midlands over the next decade, putting £8,600 back in the pockets of working people.

Nonacus, developer of early cancer tests - working with Cancer Research UK - is investing £5m in two bladder cancer diagnostic trials involving 5,000 patients across seven NHS Trusts. Its Galeas Bladder urine test can detect bladder cancer without the need for invasive and expensive hospital-based procedures, freeing up hospital capacity, speeding up result delivery and improving the patient experience.

At New Cross Hospital, robotic surgery is benefiting patients by enabling shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery times for patients.

The health and med-tech sector already employs 14,000 people locally across 700 firms and generates £6bn a year for the West Midlands economy. Under the Mayor’s Growth Plan, it is set to create thousands more well-paid jobs - supported by the Government’s £86bn investment in research and development. The plan includes:

• Expanding health innovation clusters across the region
• New R&D grants for medtech SMEs
• Stronger partnerships between health-tech businesses and NHS Trusts to speed up adoption of new treatments

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Health-tech is about better care for patients, shorter waiting times and more good jobs here in the West Midlands. Through my Growth Plan we are making this one of the best places in the country to develop and roll out new treatments - from expanding our innovation clusters to supporting local medtech businesses to grow and export. The technology I’ve seen today is proof that when we back science, patients and the economy both win.”

Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, said: “In a region renowned for engineering, with Richard Parker as Mayor, the West Midlands is setting the pace for medical technology.

“Nonacus’s innovative approach to testing for bladder cancer will help save patients time and the NHS money.

“While at New Cross I saw how robotic surgery is improving patient care and reducing recovery time. Everywhere you look technology is making huge strides forward and we must harness that for the benefit of everyone.

“Life sciences is a growth sector for the West Midlands and the UK as a whole combining the power of our universities, the creativity of our businesses and the strength of our NHS.“

Jeff Bousfield, CEO of Nonacus, said: “Our investment reaffirms the West Midlands as a leading region for trialing new and life-saving innovations and reflects our confidence in the Mayor’s focus on health tech for better patient care, and the Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan, to safely and effectively bring Galeas Bladder to the 100,000+ UK patients that could benefit.”

Joe Chadwick-Bell, Chief Executive of The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, said: “We were delighted to welcome Minister Kyle, Councillor Simkins and Mr Parker to the Trust today and showcase all our digital advancements, demonstrating how they translate into real benefits for our patients.”

Councillor Stephen Simkins said: “I was absolutely blown away with the visit today. The sky is the limit with the potential there is using this fantastic technology in the NHS, not just for patient care but also providing jobs in the city.”

Notes

• The West Midlands Growth Plan aims to reboot the regional economy, raise living standards, and put an extra £8,600 into the pockets of working people. A link to the plan can be found here.
  
  
• Health and medtech is one of five high-growth sectors identified as having world-leading potential to create skilled, high-paid jobs.

The Growth Plan includes measures to expand the region’s health innovation clusters, offer targeted R&D funding for medtech SMEs, and create stronger partnerships between innovators and the NHS.