Space Agency tech for ‘out-of-this-world’ new county hospital
Drones and video rehabilitation
A NEW state-of-the-art hospital that uses ‘space-aged’ tech which will one day transport man to Mars is set to be built in Hampshire.
The revolutionary idea has been announced by the government as part of a multi-million pound scheme to modernise hospitals.
Up to £5m of UK Space Agency funding is being made available to support a joint initiative with the Hampshire Together: Modernising our Hospitals and Health Services scheme.
The programme is part of the government’s £3.7bn health and infrastructure plan to build 40 new hospitals across England by 2030.
Innovators are being sought to show how space tech could be integrated into a new hospital to improve treatment and relieve strain on NHS staff.
Ideas include new hi-tech diagnostic tools, using drones to deliver vital medical supplies or video link rehabilitation programmes for recovering patients.
Announcing the scheme today, science minister Amanda Solloway said: ‘As we build back better from the pandemic, I am confident that UK businesses large and small will come forward to produce some truly aweinspiring ideas to help design this space-age hospital, support our heroic NHS staff and ultimately save lives.’
Space is already playing a key role in supporting healthcare. The UK Space Agency has provided cash for projects to help the NHS tackle the coronavirus pandemic, including electric drones that navigate via satellite-enabled GPS, carrying Covid-19 samples, test-kits and PPE
Meanwhile, health technologies inspired by spaceaged kit have helped provide real-time diagnosis of bowel cancer and developed more compact 3D X-ray machines.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘This trailblazing collaboration – bringing together exceptional scientists from the UK Space Agency and Hampshire Together – will help us apply space age innovations to building hospitals of the future.’ Tony Mears, associate director of innovation for the Hampshire Together programme, said the funding could transform healthcare across the country.
Businesses will produce some awe-inspiring ideas for this space-age hospital. Amanda Solloway