Directed Systems is a UK health technology company developing Hypotension Decision Assist (HDA), an advanced clinical decision support platform designed to help anaesthetists detect and prevent intraoperative hypotension, a dangerous drop in blood pressure that can occur during surgery. The technology has already demonstrated strong clinical performance in the United States, where it is used to support safer surgical care and improve patient outcomes.
As the company prepared to enter the UK healthcare market, it faced the significant challenge of adapting the platform to NHS clinical workflows, generating UK-specific clinical evidence and progressing towards CE and UKCA certification. Successfully introducing an innovative medical technology into the NHS requires more than technical excellence; it demands robust clinical validation, meaningful patient and public involvement, health economic evidence and close collaboration with NHS clinicians.
GrantUp identified NIHR i4i Connect as the ideal funding programme to support this next stage of development. The competition is specifically designed to accelerate promising medical technologies towards NHS adoption, making it an excellent fit for Directed Systems' clinical maturity and translational objectives.
Working alongside University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, our consultants supported Directed Systems throughout the entire application process. We developed a compelling funding strategy centred on patient safety, unmet clinical need and the potential to reduce avoidable complications during surgery. Complex technical concepts were translated into a clear, evidence-based proposal that demonstrated both clinical impact and commercial viability while aligning closely with NIHR's assessment criteria.
GrantUp refined every aspect of the application, strengthening the project scope, health economics case, clinical rationale and adoption strategy. We also ensured that patient and public involvement was clearly integrated throughout the proposal while presenting a credible route towards NHS implementation, regulatory approval and long-term commercialisation.
The project successfully secured NIHR i4i Connect funding, enabling Directed Systems to adapt Hypotension Decision Assist for NHS use, undertake clinician usability testing within simulated operating theatre environments and conduct UK-based research in partnership with University Hospitals Birmingham. The project also supports progress towards CE and UKCA marking, bringing the company significantly closer to widespread NHS deployment.
Building on successful clinical adoption in the United States, the funding provides Directed Systems with the platform needed to generate NHS-specific evidence, strengthen clinical partnerships and establish itself as a leading provider of intelligent decision support technology for surgical care.