About Us
The NIHR HealthTech Research Centre – Community Healthcare is one of 14 centres of excellence established by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to accelerate the development and implementation of innovative health technologies across England.
Our Vision
To transform community and interface care through the development, evaluation, and implementation of cutting-edge health technologies, improving patient outcomes and reducing pressure on secondary care services.
What We Do
Based at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, our centre brings together world-class expertise from academia, industry, and the NHS.
We support healthtech companies at all stages – from early ideas to market-ready solutions – focusing on diagnostics, digital health technology, and medical devices for community healthcare settings.
Our Approach
- User-centred design:
We involve patients, public, care providers and clinicians from the earliest stages to ensure solutions meet real-world needs. - Rigorous evaluation:
We conduct efficient and innovative studies to robustly assess new technologies, including health economics and real-world evidence generation. - Collaboration:
We broker relationships between industry and clinical practice, helping build multidisciplinary teams to generate evidence supporting NHS adoption. - Capacity building:
We train a network of clinicians, methodologists, and industry partners in HealthTech development and evaluation. - Patient and public involvement:
Our dedicated PPIE lead ensures patient perspectives are central to all our work.
Strategy for Patient and Public Involvement, Engagement and Participation
Click the button below to view our full strategy for how we involve patient and the public in not just what we we do, but how we do it.
Our Expertise
We offer:
- World-leading medical diagnostics expertise and extensive clinical networks
- Advice on technology suitability, evidence requirements, and regulatory pathways
- In-house delivery of clinical trials and health economic evaluations
- Support for patient engagement and recruitment
Our Impact
Building on over 10 years of success as an NIHR Diagnostic Evidence Co-operative and MedTech and In Vitro Diagnostic Co-operative, we have:
- Leveraged over £20 in research funding for every £1 invested
- Supported 83 SMEs with advice and funding applications
- Published hundreds of high-impact research papers
- Influenced national policy on diagnostics and community healthcare
Partner With Us
Whether you're a healthtech company, healthcare professional, or other potential collaborator, we invite you to explore how we can work together to improve community healthcare through innovation.