133291Malinko Intelligent Clinic Scheduling (MICS)ClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UK"Healthcare faces unprecedented challenges from rising demand and spending cuts -- more people require services due to an ageing population with increased disease prevalence, but government targets require cost savings to be made. Clinic scheduling is a particular problem due to the lack of an intelligent scheduling system to link capacity (resources) with demand (patients), which causes inefficiencies and poor experiences for patients. Intelligent scheduling goes beyond staff rostering (capacity) and patient details (demand) by using data from both. Existing scheduling systems can be manual (paper/spreadsheets) or semi-automated (software based), but none of these offers a full and reliable solution that has the required intelligence to allocate clinical resources efficiently and effectively to meet patient care requirements. Solutions that are available have a number of issues that limit their uptake, including capability, cost, integration with other systems and reliability. Developing a scheduling platform to process clinical resources, optimise schedules and deliver operational efficiency thus represents a major business opportunity. Liquid Bronze, an SME in North West England, seek to use their software scheduling experience across various sectors (including healthcare) to develop a dynamic new solution -- Malinko Intelligent Clinic Scheduling (MICS) -- the first intelligent scheduling system that effectively and efficiently links capacity and demand. The prototype solution will be trialled for selected clinics using pilots with NHS service providers to verify benefits for providers such as workforce productivity, estates/facilities and administrative savings, as well as benefits to patients such as reduced waiting times and more flexibility to book/rebook appointments. The proposed solution has the potential to be adapted for other clinics so could be applied across the NHS. For LB the project will deliver entry into a new market and result in new revenues, increased R&D spend/activity and growth in skilled employment."