Not necessarily. The law states that if your idea is made during the course of your normal duties then it is not yours, it is owned by your employer. Any idea not related to your job is, however, owned by you. This can be a complicated area so please get in touch with us to find out more.
Legally speaking, it makes no difference. If the idea relates to your normal duties, it is still owned by your employer.
In accordance with Department of Health guidelines, many Trusts have an intellectual property policy that allows for an employee who invents a new product or innovation to receive a share of any money the Trust makes from its commercialisation.
Exploiting new ideas, even the simplest of devices, is an expensive and risky business with no guarantee of success. If the idea is owned by the Trust, MidTECH can provide expertise and resources to progress the project at no personal cost or risk to you. We cannot do this for ideas owned by individuals, even if they are NHS employees. You will also have the satisfaction of seeing your idea realised, for the benefit of you, your Trust, the NHS and its patients.