Cheshire inventors receive health tech funding for innovative foot blister prevention pad

The Cheshire-based inventors of a ground-breaking blister prevention pad have received £10,000 funding to further develop their technology in the NHS.

PelliTec was originally developed as a consumer product using state-of-the-art materials to reduce friction and eliminate the risk of blisters forming in athletes and walkers. The gel pads stick to the inside of footwear, not the skin. 

Research involving the public and patients, and supported by the Innovation Agency, the Academic Health Science Network North West Coast, demonstrated that the pads also made footwear more comfortable for people with diabetes. 

The NHS currently spends £1 billion on the treatment of diabetic foot conditions, and there are over 10,000 foot amputations a year as a result of diabetic foot ulcers. 

The funding is from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and will be used to study the safety and reliability of the pads in preventing the recurrence of foot ulcers. The ‘proof of concept’ study will be carried out with project partners Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Metropolitan University and NIHR Devices for Dignity. 

By proving that the pads can reduce pressure in key regions of the foot, and reduce the recurrence of foot ulcers, PelliTec can be shown to benefit the NHS and have the potential to improve patient care for people with diabetes and other conditions. 

The company behind PelliTec is backed by the Innovation Agency, who helped facilitate the funding. 

PelliTec Director Peter Broxton said: “We have had great support from the Innovation Agency, including the patient engagement study, health economics, real-world validation work and introductions to events and investors. We have an insole in development using the same technology as the pad and this will form the next stage of the PelliTec technology rollout.”

Innovation Agency commercial programme manager Indi Singh said: “PelliTec is a great example of an innovative product which offers real benefits to the NHS in terms of patient care. This funding will facilitate an important step in introducing this solution to the health and care system in the region and more widely.”