Ministers at the Department of Health and Social Care have unveiled plans to put funding into 11 projects designed to using technology and data to help public bodies treat addiction
The UK government has invested £12m in technology designed to reduce the number of drug deaths.
Eleven projects have secured a part of the funding to develop tools which could “save thousands of lives” and encourage healthcare companies to invest in the country, the government said.
Funded through the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme, which is run by the Office for Life Sciences, the research will look into how new technology can prevent deaths and help those with addictions manage triggers. The research could also help tackle impacts of addiction in society, including the “pattern prison relapse and rebound”, according to professor Mike Lewis, the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s scientific director for innovation.
Several of the projects are based in Scotland and the cash boost comes two months after statistics showed 1,172 people, had died from drug misuse in Scotland in 2023, a rise of 121 compared to the year before.
The University of Edinburgh, in partnership with NHS Fife, is developing an AI-powered wristband device, named “Saving Dam”. By monitoring vital signs such as heart rate, the device could send a message to a trusted contact if it detected a potential overdose.
Similarly, Glasgow University is developing a soften sensor, designed for seamless body integration, which provides live respiratory monitoring to identify early signs of overdose. With support from the West of Scotland NHS Innovation Hub, researchers will now test the prototype with people who have experienced or are living with addiction.
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NHS Fife will also help tech firm Mesox design acceptability studies for its wearable patch of the antidotes Naloxone and Flumazenil, which can rapidly reverse heroin and opioid overdose. The skin patch is designed for wide application by non-professionals, avoiding challenges posed by injections or nasal sprays.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Ambulance Services has helped Wales-based company Scienap, design a low-cost alert and responder pathway to create effective responses to potentially fatal overdose events. The project includes a new Alert App for self-monitoring by drug users, automatically raising an alarm if they become unresponsive, and a Care & Respond App for trusted supporters to provide coordinated help, administer life-saving drugs.
Other studies will look at using virtual reality to help people overcome their triggers for addiction while King’s College London is looking into naloxone wafers which can fit into a wallet and melt in people’s mouth.
Minister for public health Andrew Gwynne said: “Drug addiction devastates lives and rips apart families, and this government is committed to gripping this problem. We’re determined to harness the full potential of cutting-edge technology to save thousands of lives across the country. I want the UK to lead the way in championing innovation to end the harmful effects of addiction.”
Chief scientific advisor for health to the Scottish Government Professor Anna Dominiczak added: “Tackling drug-related deaths is a priority for the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland and we are committed to tackling these issues through targeted research, innovation and support. By harnessing the expertise we have in Scotland and across the rest of the UK, we can continue to develop new technologies to drive prevention initiatives.”