The NHS is also championing HaMpton, an app for pregnant women who might be at risk of pre-eclampsia. The condition, characterised by high blood pressure and protein in the urine, usually occurs 20 weeks into a pregnancy. HaMPton allows users to carry out their own blood pressure readings and urine tests at home; the results, along with a short survey, are then recorded in the app and processed by a hospital computer. The alternative — twice-weekly tests at a Maternity Assessment Unit — can be stressful for patients and increases the burden on stretched NHS hospitals. Other highlights include Waitless, an app that tells patients with minor injuries the fastest way to be treated, and Dip.io, a home urine test that allows patients to check for chronic kidney diseases, urinary tract infections (UTIs) and pre-eclampsia. They all fall under the NHS Innovation Accelerator, a programme designed to increase innovation and use of technology in the healthcare sector. Selected projects have access to experts and mentors inside the NHS, workshops and webinars, and, crucially, bursaries to aid their development. They're all in a trial phase, but it's hoped the best will become standard NHS procedure some day.
The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is offering support and mentoring to start-ups developing novel medical technology via its Innovation Accelerator. Among the firms are RespiraSense, which has developed a plaster-shaped sensor to measure breathing rates and help detect sepsis, and HaMpton, which allows pregnant women to test blood pressure and protein levels to detect symptoms of pre-eclampsia at home. In addition, there will be an annual competition for startups that develop new ways to treat patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or cancer.