Dragons’ Den-style healthcare pitch

FACING the panel . . . (from left) Kath Wynne-Jones (director of performace, CCG), Julie Daines (chief financial officer, CCG) and Craig Dean (chief executive of Web Applications)

A NEW scheme will see pharmaceutical companies use their expertise to help improve public health in Oldham.

NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has launched the next stage of its innovative Dragons’ Den project and is giving pharmaceutical companies the chance to pitch proposals for improving residents’ health to the clinical panel of “dragons”.

The first phase of the scheme in 2013 was a huge success, with £600,000 invested in 23 health ideas pitched by GPs, practice nurses, charities, local authority teams and other partners.

Dr Ian Wilkinson, chief clinical officer at the CCG, said: “We are really excited by this next phase of Dragons’ Den. Offering improvements to patients through innovative approaches to healthcare is at the core of Pharma Dragons’ Den.”

Denis Gizzi, managing director of Oldham CCG, said: “The Pharma Dragons’ Den has been set up to try to capture some of the great ideas being developed in the field of medicine.”

The panel days, in July, will see clinicians hear from the pharmaceutical industry about how partnership working can improve healthcare in the borough.

The closing date for applications is June 30.

Info: www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search and search for Pharma Dragons’ Den.