Businesses are invited to apply for part of a £5 million fund to develop mobile phone applications to help patients.

And an Airedale Hospital boss will help judge the bids to develop creative apps to help people living with cancer and other life-threatening conditions.

Ann Wagner, director of strategy and business development at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, will sit on a panel alongside other senior representatives from NHS Trusts. She said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for creative entrepreneurs to work in partnership with the NHS to use new technology in a way that is really simple to use but will have real benefits for our patients and staff. I am really looking forward to considering the ideas that people have come up with..”

Creative England is asking small and medium businesses to bid for a slice of its £5 million Regional Growth Fund. It is the first time the group’s focus has been specifically on healthcare.

The NHS Commissioning Board is supporting the competition to encourage developers who may not have previously worked within the health sector to get involved.

Founder of Creative Skills For Life Ian Spero said: “Airedale is a great role model and is doing some really interesting work involving telemedicine which was demonstrated at the recent Health Expo conference.”

The agency will match fund ten prototype apps at £10,000 each, with a view to providing the most compelling viable products with a chance to go to market.

Chief technology officer from the NHS Commissioning Board Alex Abbott said: “This scheme is a fantastic opportunity.”

Visit creativenengland.co.uk.