TSET

AHSN NENC Technology Specific Evaluation Team (TSET)

What does the AHSN NENC Technology Specific Evaluation Team (TSET) do?

The Artificial Intelligence in Health and Care Award (https://www.nhsx.nhs.uk/ai-lab/ai-lab-programmes/ai-health-and-care-award/) funds and supports promising AI technologies for health and social care. It aims to benefit patients by combining the power of artificial intelligence with the expertise of the NHS to improve health and care outcomes. The Award has committed approximately £90 million to accelerate the testing and evaluation of technologies most likely to meet the aims set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. The AI in Health and Care Award is increasing the impact of AI systems in helping to solve both clinical and operational challenges across the NHS, including reducing waiting times, improving early diagnosis and saving staff time. It will speed up the most promising technologies through the regulatory process by building an evidence base to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of artificial intelligence in health and care.

The award is split into phases based on the readiness of the AI technology:

Phases 1 – 2 accelerate promising ideas and products that are pre-commercialisation and have yet to receive market authorisation.

Phase 3 develops first real-world testing in health and social care settings to establish evidence of effectiveness and efficacy.

Phase 4 will identify promising products which are ready for robust evaluation across multiple real-world test sites. These evaluations help build an evidence base to inform recommendations for national roll-out and, where relevant, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.

In 2021, the AAC set up an AI Award Evaluation Partner Group to work with Phase 3 and 4 technology companies on their evaluations. Our AHSN NENC Evaluation Partner Group will develop and deliver robust empirical evaluations in line with NICE and the UK National Screening Committee.

AHSN NENC Evaluation Partner Group will provide independent peer review of selected phase 3 projects and evaluation delivery for Phase 4 winners.

Who are our Technology Specific Evaluation Team (TSET) partners?

AHSN NENC Technology Specific Evaluation Team includes Academics from Newcastle, Northumbria, Durham, Sunderland and Teesside Universities, our NIHR infrastructure such as the ARC, CRN, RDS and MIC who would work with our regional support for setting up of the study that will provide the outputs required; clinical input from the region clinical networks and key clinical opinion leaders; and the regional infrastructure to support the delivery of the any studies throughout the Integrated Care System of the NENC, including acute, mental health and ambulance Trusts, the digital workstream as well as a focus of primary and community care through North East Commissioning Support.

AHSN NENC Technology Specific Evaluation Team Members

  • Dr Alan Godfrey – Associate Professor Computer and Information Sciences at Northumbria University
  • Professor Alastair Burt – Professor of Precision and Molecular Pathology at Newcastle University
  • Dr Andrew Sims – Head of Northern Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering Department at Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust and Director of Newcastle External Centre for NICE Medical Technology Evaluation
  • Angela Birt – NIHR Patient Recruitment Centre Business Manager
  • Anna Halstead – Research Project Manager at Newcastle MIC
  • Professor Boguslaw Obara – Professor of Image Informatics at Newcastle University
  • Professor Caroline Wroe – Clinical Director of NIHR NENC
  • Dr Christopher Price – Professor of Stroke and Applied Health Research at Newcastle University
  • Dr Clare Lendrem – Statistical Methodologist at NIHR Newcastle In Vitro Diagnostics Co-operative
  • Professor Colin Rees – Professor of Gastroenterology at Newcastle University
  • Professor Eileen Kaner – Professor of Public Health & Primary Care Research at Newcastle University
  • Dr Geraint Lewis – Head of Enterprise Services at Newcastle University
  • Dr Graham Evans – Chief Information and Technology Officer at North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
  • Jane Greenaway – Associate Director Durham Tees Valley Research Alliance
  • Jane Pearson – NIHR ARC NENC Manager
  • Dr Katie Elliott – GP and Primary Care Clinical Director at the Northern Cancer Alliance
  • Professor Luke Vale – Professor of Health Economics at Newcastle University
  • Dr Mark Dornan – Chair of Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group
  • Michelle Dixon – Senior Business Development Manager at Durham University
  • Morag Burton – Chief Operating Officer at NIHR Clinical Research Network NENC
  • Nicola Weatherburn – Communications Manager at NIHR ARC NENC
  • Dr Noura Al Moubayed – Assistant Professor in Machine Learning at Durham University
  • Professor Paula Whitty – Director of the North East Quality Observatory Service
  • Professor Peter McMeekin – Professor of Health Economics at Northumbria University
  • Dr Shona Haining – Head of Research & Evidence at NECS
  • Siobhan Fenton – Associate Dean (Enterprise & Business Engagement) at Teesside University
  • Professor Steve Caughey – Director of the National Innovation Centre for Data
  • Dr Will Jones – In Vitro Diagnostics Evaluation Methodologist at Newcastle University
  • Professor Zulf Ali – Director, Healthcare Innovation Partnership at Teesside University

Further details

For further details about AHSN NENC Technology Specific Evaluation Team please get in touch with Sean Gill at [email protected]