Significant public and private sector collaboration leads to single-use endoscopy innovation that can meet global healthcare needs.
A six-figure investment by Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) has acted as the catalyst for a multi-million-pound healthcare breakthrough by Chepstow-based IQ Endoscopes, developing a single-use device set to transform patient care and cut NHS waiting times.
Through its Challenge Fund, CCR awarded £750,000 to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CAVUHB) to explore how innovation could speed up endoscopy procedures in Wales, with £374,000 of that sum provided to IQ Endoscopes. That investment acted as a catalyst for the company to secure significant private sector backing, enabling new jobs, possible manufacturing in Wales, and a global route-to-market.
Endoscopy services across Wales were severely disrupted during the pandemic, waiting lists exceeding 30,000 patients post-pandemic, with urgent cases waiting up to 43 weeks. The CCR-backed project set out to address this challenge by:
- Developing sustainable single-use endoscopes that eliminate lengthy cleaning processes
- Enabling procedures at the bedside or in clinics, creating new patient pathways
- Increasing capacity for clinicians and reducing waiting times
- Improving hospital efficiency, freeing up beds and speeding up patient discharge.
The new device has been independently evaluated by the Centre for Healthcare Evaluation, Device Assessment and Research (CEDAR), confirming its clinical viability. IQ Endoscopes is now preparing for wider adoption across health systems in the UK and internationally.
Launched in 2021, CCR’s £10m Challenge Fund was intended to drive scalable innovation by connecting public sector needs with private sector expertise. It is now being combined into CCR’s new Infuse programme.
This latest success demonstrates how relatively small public investments can unlock major private backing, deliver life-changing technologies, and position South Wales as a world-class hub for medtech innovation.
