Research & Development Directorate

Support for Researchers > Intellectual Property Advice

What is Intellectual Property (IP)?

IP is the result of intellectual activity - it may be a novel method, idea or an invention.

NHS staff are constantly finding new and better ways to do their work.  Such innovations may be prototype devices, designs, software, processes or documents to improve clinical practice, or new technologies arising from research.

What do I do if I think I may have some IP worth developing?

Contact the Trust's IP Advisor immediately (Dr Andrew Maines, Head of R&D) for advice.  He will assist you in evaluating your IP for commercial potential and protecting your IP in the most appropriate way.  Many innovations are lost to the NHS because staff do not recognise the value of their inventiveness.  Commercial opportunities are lost as well because of prior disclosure (e.g. conference presentations or publications) of IP which will prevent its patenting.

First Step

You will be asked to complete a Confidential Invention Record, IP Questionnaire, or an IP Software Questionnaire.  These documents are used by the R&D Directorate to identify the best method for protecting your IP and assess the financial benefits of commercially developing your IP.

Advice on the protection of literary or artistic work (copyright)

Advice on the protection of unregistered design rights

To safeguard your unprotected IP during discussions with other organisations such as companies, sponsors or collaborators, you should always use a Confidential Disclosure Agreement:

Trust Confidential Disclosure Agreement (MS Word)

Ownership of IP

The Trust owns the IP generated by Trust employees in the course of their normal duties.  The Trust, therefore, has the responsibility for ensuring that IP is properly evaluated, protected and commercially developed.  Staff have a responsibility to assist the Trust to do this. 

The Trust's IP Management Policy  sets out these responsibilities in detail.

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Revenue Sharing

Any income from the commercial exploitation of IP is shared with the inventor.  The current revenue-sharing arrangements are set out below.

TrusTECH launched the ACTNoW database in June 2004 as part of the Clinical Trials Capacity Mapping Project.  It provides a single access point to comprehensive information about the clinical research community in the North West.  For more information please contact actnow@trustech.org.uk or see the TrusTECH web pages and click on the link on their home page.