In simple terms, yes. InnoScot Health has worked in partnership with NHS Scotland since 2002, protecting and supporting NHS initiated ideas. This is our main focus, but we also assess and support ideas from students, members of the public, start-ups, SMEs and established companies that would benefit from collaboration with the NHS.

No set limit, the InnoScot Health team rapidly assesses all submissions and fast track those with potential.

All ideas are welcomed – from simple to complex, from all disciplines and any member of staff. It could be a medical device, a piece of technology, software or service offering.

InnoScot Health offers initial and rapid ‘kick start’ funding, allowing promising ideas to be fast-tracked with additional funding leveraged as needed to support development, testing or manufacture. Our team has years of experience in leveraging additional funding to support the development and commercialisation of innovative healthcare ideas.

New ideas are central to the improvement of sustainable patient care. It’s true health and social care professionals are extremely busy but they also have incredible knowledge, expertise and first hand experience of the NHS, how it works, and how to make things better. It is InnoScot Health's mission to provide the right encouragement and support, to attract and develop these ideas.

A simple online submission form captures the idea, and the InnoScot Health team will then work closely with health professionals to develop the innovation. The team has always worked in this way, managing projects that would otherwise be difficult for health and social care staff to balance with personal or clinical commitments.

This will vary by project and depends on many factors, including complexity, stage of development, and funding requirements.

The innovation team at InnoScot Health will assess and support selected ideas from concept to the final product. The team has over 20 years of experience evaluating ideas from health professionals.

An established criteria exists including the viability of the idea, regulatory considerations, commercial feasibility, clinical evaluation and technical considerations. These will be flexible and proportionate to the urgency and need for the idea.

The InnoScot Health team largely operates remotely. Our innovation team cover the whole of Scotland, and are available for basic questions or a bespoke consultation, while our submission guide lists the criteria the team use when assessing ideas.