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QIPP National guidelines were included to create
cost savings whilst improving quality improvement,
productivity and prevention in mental health provision
for NHS patients. The three initiatives were written to
create NHS evidence for three key groups of patients:
those who experience anxiety and depression, children
and young people, older people and dementia.
In 2012 CBRT™ was introduced to the DH Innovation
Commercial Procurement Team. CBRT™ completed
the NHS NIC (National Innovation Centre) Technology
Scorecard Process (92.53% score) as a medical device
(technology) and psychological therapy system -
taking four months to complete. The Colour Breathing
products and Practitioner Training Programme were
included in the review. The initiatives were also verified
by other senior NHS Management . Yet despite these
outcomes there was no suitable NIC funding for the
initiatives!
A Senior NHS Psychological Therapies
Commissioning Manager who reviewed the initiatives
wrote :
“The principles of building confidence and
socialisation are good, as commissioners we
understand how important this is for a patient’s
recovery. The proposal is very good and well
presented, with a good evidence base and clinical
outcomes. On paper, the savings are good, a
reduction in primary care presentations, and this
is similar to IAPT where we also know there are
reductions in referrals to secondary care.”
For five years, CBRT™ was totally stuck in a ‘chicken
and egg situation’ as it was impossible to raise any
bank funding to action the NHS pilots and the many
letters to different NHS organisations requesting
funding support were often ‘lost in the system.’ Our
local MP wrote to the Prime Minister David Cameron
and Chairman and Chief Executive of NHS England
about the situation asking to support CBRT™ as a small
healthcare innovation company. There has always
been a strong grassroots support for the CBRT™
initiatives - for if you don’t get to pilot something new
- how will you ever find out if it actually helps patients?
In 2013, the NHS England National Director of the IAPT
(Improving Access to Psychological Therapy) Adult
Programmes suggested CBRT™ write to The Secretary
of State for health and include that “CBRT™ is a policy
matter of national interest.”
The Secretary of State wrote to suggest that
CBRT™ apply for a grant with the £5 million RIF
Fund (Regional Innovation Fund) and CBRT™ duly
submitted 3 applications, one for each initiative - each
headed up with a Chief Executive of an NHS Clinical
Commissioning Group as named ‘clinical lead.’
Many were stunned when nothing became of any of
the applications. The deadline dates also changed
so the £5million innovation money awarded in the
January had to be used by 31 March the same year.
CBRT™ was then advised to apply for the next
£2.5 million RIF Fund but the criteria had changed and
the 3 applications had to be re-written to a maximum
£200,000 grant per project. It was then discovered that
the criteria had been reverted to a maximum £250,000
grant per project and the deadline dates changed
again. It was a chaotic process and CBRT™ had to write
to ask what had become of our applications - one
application we still don’t know the outcome!
The CBRT™ initiatives can now finally become
actioned with investment. These might happen in the
NHS but we can now look to run pilot programmes in
the USA, Middle East and Australia. It is still very hard to
understand why in the 5 years of preparation for NHS
entry that no funding could be found - only that the
NHS is a closed shop. A senior NHS England clinician
did advise me that “In normal circumstances... this
type of innovation only happens with clinicians and
front line staff”.
Five months of independent NHS due diligence
by ‘NHS South of England’ not only supported and
recommended the piloting of CBRT™ as an innovation
but also aligned the potential NHS patient benefits
with the NICE Quality Standards for depression.
It confirmed that the initiatives could potentially
help many thousands of patients learn how to relax
naturally and perhaps prevent them from having to be
given medication and save the NHS more than
£18 million per year.
CBRT™ was also selected for poster presentation by
an independent BMJ and NHS England panel for the
2013 “Future of Health Conference” for Long Term
Conditions.
LONE INVENTORS - NEED FAR MORE ££ SUPPORT FROM
THE UK GOVERNMENT AND UNDERSTANDING FROM HIGH
STREET BANKS
There is an unsaid presumption in healthcare
invention that a scientist or clinician will always invent
something superior to the unknown lone inventor. Yet
some of the very best inventions were created by ‘lone
inventors’ such as Charles Goodyear, Thomas Edison,
Alexander Graham Bell, etc. Life experiences can
contribute to innovation.
The UK Government supports mostly start-up
companies and those achieving substantial turnover.
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Many grants are for use in collaboration with
universities - who already have their own innovation
agenda and are public funded.
Until there is real thirst for culture change and
genuine understanding of the actual difficulties
involved in private innovation - small UK innovation
will continue to suffer - mainly through lack of
investment.
LONE INVENTORS NEED IP AND LEGAL SUPPORT WHEN
THEIR RIGHTS ARE EXPLOITED. THE UK INTELLECTUAL
OFFICE NEEDS TO PROVIDE SOME PRACTICAL SUPPORT IN
THE FORM OF SOME IPR INSURANCE COVER. THIS COULD
BE INCLUDED IN THE ANNUAL COST OF THE PATENT FEES
This is written from a real and costly experience.
In 2003, a major challenge happened to Colour
Breathing at the Frankfurt Book Fair. At this stage,
Colour Breathing was in the final stages of finalising
the first co-edition contract for publication rights in the
USA when a Korean publishing house “Healing Society”
had copied my work. The previous year - Hye Seon
Kim, chief director Healing Society - had requested a
Colour Breathing kit be sent and to include a co-edition
contract for these. A FedEx receipt provided signed
proof of receipt. Despite Colour Breathing having full
copyright and registered Patent , Dr. Ilchi Lee (leader
of Dhan Yoga movement in Sedona) claimed full
copyright on his version of my work of then 6 years
- naming it “Healing Chakra.” A multimillionaire, his
version launched (albeit in poor quality print editions)
with a 17 state USA tour to his “followers.”
Our first co edition contract (worth an initial £135,000)
had to be cancelled due to legal action Legal costs for
the next 3 years ran into thousands of pounds and as
I had just had a child we did not have the £200,000
minimum legal purse required to take him to court
in Arizona. It was estimated that a minimum £1.5
million pounds profits were made in Year One sales of
“Healing Chakra” in the USA alone, not including other
related activities or language editions.
Just imagine - losing a contract which is ready to sign,
then the anticipated income from forecasted future
sales (£1.635 million) then also having to fund legal
costs. There was no support available from the UK
Government (IP Office) or our business bank (RBS) If
there had been some form of ‘mechanism’ to support
the company to take legal action- there is an excellent
chance that some of the initial losses could have
been recovered. Our case was deemed ‘strong’ due
to factual printed evidence. (Nobody can even guess
what the long term company losses could amount to.)
Media attention suggests the UK government
supports entrepreneurs and female innovators yet the
reality is - there is no support from UK Banks. When
starting the concept stage of Colour Breathing - our
Bank ‘then’ - ‘RBS’ - would not consider any form of
long term ‘R & D’ loan. So due to the size of the project
finance requirement, we were left with no option
but to mortgage and re-mortgage our home - many
times - with any profits made having to go straight
back into the R & D process. Just think how innovation
could be transformed if UK Banks started to support
inventors and allow their IPR (valued by specialists) for
collateral use against a long term government backed
loan? Why not? How much government money is
wasted each year in abandoned public technology or
health research programmes? The public sector and
pharmaceutical industries dominate innovation and
research funding. CBRT™ has yet to meet any other
healthcare inventors who have been made to face
quite so many challenges.
CHANGE IS FINALLY ‘ON THE CARDS’ FOR CBRT™ - THANKS
TO THIS £10 MILLION GLOBAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMME
OPPORTUNITY
Investors interested in helping to make a real
difference in the world of mental health please contact
Alison Bourne. CBRT™ has over 60 new consumer-
friendly products to launch, many suggested by
mental health professionals. CBRT™ strategy includes
collaboration through international brand licence
agreements and alliances to complete a wide interest
Colour Breathing product range for global markets.
With growing consumer interest in yoga, mindfulness,
self- help tools and training programs in many
territories, CBRT™ will initially launch in the USA ,
Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and The
Middle East. CBRT™ will have its own research teams
for new patent applications and exciting research
programs. The CBRT™ Advisory Board is currently
being formed.
C
BRT™ is working to improve
mental health outcomes
for individuals, families, and
communities.
To become part of this global reaching healthcare
investment opportunity contact : Alison Bourne,
Director CBRT Healthcare Innovation Systems Ltd
E: invest@colourbreathing.com | T: 01425 629602