SOUTH Cumbrian companies have been given the chance to access £86m to develop medical breakthroughs for the NHS.

The Innovation Agency, one of England’s 15 Academic Health Science Networks, will assess new technologies and developments from this part of the county as well as Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire.

These could include digital technologies to help patients manage their conditions from home instead of a hospital or plans to develop new medicines.

Innovation Agency chief executive Dr Liz Mear will play an overseeing role in this.

Dr Mear said: “The Academic Health Science Networks support the healthcare system to quickly identify and spread new, better and cheaper ways to deliver services for patients and populations. Since we were set up in 2013, our work has benefited six million people and we have spread more than 200 innovations across the health and care system.

“We will build on our existing track record of matching products to challenges and directing our networks and expertise to assess innovations and speed up their spread across the country.”

Technologies that have already received support and are bringing benefits to patients include MyCOPD, an online system which helps people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to better manage their condition. It has helped more than 32,000 patients by allowing them to improve breathing, manage flare-ups and track medicine use – reducing the reliance on GP and hospital appointments.

Business minister Lord Prior said: “The government has an important role to play in driving innovation that will increase economic growth and support businesses across the country.

“Through this funding we will quicken the pace of scientific discovery and innovation in the UK and our industrial strategy we will boost our status a global hub for life sciences.”

This £86m funding is the first step in taking forward the Accelerated Access Review – which made recommendations to the government on speeding up patient access to new technologies.

For full details, including how to apply, visit www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk.