2024-2026
The new GIFT position funded by the Murdoch Forrest Charitable Trust is within the area of design engineering. This will provide a professional development opportunity for a recent graduate with an engineering degree and a talent and passion for medical device design and development.
- On the job training in medical device design and development, complying with our industry standard, certified ISO 13485 Quality Management System.
- Training in the regulations and best practice for medical device design and manufacture, in compliance with international standards.
- Exposure to state-of-the-art tools and technologies.
The successful graduate will be in the unique position to work directly with clinicians and patients to co-develop innovative devices:
- Validated by end-users (‘design the right thing!’)
- Safe and effective with coordinated clinical input for risk management, clinical evaluation and post deployment surveillance.
- Compatible with the NHS systems.
- Evidenced clinical impact, promoting NHS-wide adoption.
- Affordable in a public healthcare setting.
- Providing commercialisation opportunities for industry.
The post holder will initially work on 3D-printing enabled innovations with the aim of developing new use cases and operational models that are not commercially available, e.g. rapid provision of models for paediatric cardiac surgery to reduce the risk of complex operations; including improved visualisation of internal chambers, major vascular structures and stent placement.
The Medical Devices Unit (MDU) within Greater Glasgow & Clyde has a well-established and much admired operating model for in-house NHS design and engineering. However, in order to grow it requires sustainable external investment. The GIFT will enhance the existing evidence base for the value of this model and will be used to make a case for scaling this model. In the medium term the MDU, in collaboration with industry and academic partners, are hoping to establish a Scottish Medical Device Innovation Cluster, incorporating a flag-ship hospital site, with a focus on strengthening collaborative work with industry and academia to develop medical device solutions that are fit for NHS needs.
2024–2026 Graduate Design Engineer
2019-2021 Graduate Software Engineer
Our first Graduate Innovation Fellow in health Technology (GIFT) joined the MDU in August 2019, sponsored by the Murdoch Forrest Charitable Trust. This two year fellowship provided valuable on the job training and experience in medical device software development. Working within the NHS, they were able to observe and interact with the clinical services they were designing software for, to better understand their needs and the associated clinical safety risks that the design must take into account. During their time at the MDU, they have worked on projects to support ophthalmology, diabetes, functional kidney assessment, and prostate cancer, and gained experience in mobile, web and cloud deployment. After completing their initial fellowship, they joined the MDU permanently as a software developer and much valued member of the team.
