Sheffield celebrates double research funding boost

Adults and children with medical conditions are set to benefit from an innovative new research co-operative to be launched in Sheffield.

The Children and Young People MedTech Co-operative (NIHR CYP MedTech), based at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, is being established to support the development of technology specifically for child health, after receiving a £1.1million grant from the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR).

Eleven other co-operatives are being set up around the UK, with the Devices for Dignity MedTech Co-Operative to be based at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

Sheffield Children’s Hospital will work as a centre of expertise in collaboration with other children’s healthcare Trusts across the country bringing together patients, clinicians, researchers, commissioners and industry to benefit children with epilepsy, muscle disorders, respiratory conditions, sleep disorders, childhood cancer and rare diseases.

This double win for Sheffield sees the steel city hosting the only specialist children’s co-operative. Building on the city’s reputation for engineering and innovation, both co-operatives will work together to create medical technology to improve treatment and outcomes for patients with chronic conditions.

Professor Paul Dimitri, Clinical Director of the new NIHR CYP MedTech at Sheffield Children’s said: “I’m incredibly proud that Sheffield has been chosen as host for two of these co-operatives. We are looking forward to working collaboratively with the Devices for Dignity and other research co-operatives around the country to focus on the much needed areas of child health technology development. This is another step on a really exciting journey that could bring significant innovation to the world of healthcare.”