A field hospital treating blast injuries could soon manufacture its own medical supplies on-site, rather than waiting for deliveries from a distant factory. This project addresses a critical gap in emergency medicine: current manufacturing systems assume stable, fixed locations like hospitals, but disasters, terrorist attacks, and military operations create urgent, unpredictable demand in remote or mobile settings. The research explores how Re-Distributed Manufacture (RDM)—bringing production closer to the point of need—can deliver life-saving treatments for conditions such as haemorrhagic shock, fractures, and skin and tissue damage in these chaotic environments. If successful, the work could reshape how the UK Ministry of Defence, emergency services, and civilian disaster response teams plan their supply chains. Instead of stockpiling generic supplies, mobile medical units might use RDM technologies to produce personalised treatments on demand, reducing critical delays. The project will create real-world demonstrators and build communities of practice that bridge trauma care, engineering, and innovation management, ultimately influencing future R&D investment and resourcing across defence and urgent care sectors.
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Re-Distributed Manufacture (RDM) is defined as: "Technology, systems and strategies that change the economics and organisation of manufacturing, particularly with regard to location and scale" . In healthcare, RDM involves bringing production closer to the point of clinical need or use, enhancing the capability to deliver personalised medicine. The EPSRC funded Re-Distributed Manufacturing in Healthcare Network (RiHN- www.RiHN.org.uk) was launched in Feb 2015 and delivered by a consortium of six universities (UWE, Loughborough, Nottingham, Cambridge, Newcastle & Brunel), representing disciplines from both the social sciences and engineering and led an agenda to advance the impact of UK medical manufacturing. One area of significant research interest identified by RiHN has been the potential value of implementing RDM approaches in deployed medical care. Whilst RDM includes the notion of a shift from centralised towards decentralised production, extant research continues to assume a degree of stable environmental conditions and fixed static location (e.g. hospitals/clinics/home). However, RDM can deliver life-saving benefits in mobile medical scenarios, where there is urgent and unforeseen demand in changing and remote locations, such as in response to natural disasters and emergencies (e.g. the Ebola crisis, Cyclone Idai and recent terrorist attacks), and the rapid treatment of injured military personnel in the field. This often requires a reverse supply chain perspective, starting with the requirement based on patient need. There are a variety of medical conditions that could benefit from rapid response treatments closer to the site of a medical emergency or in field hospitals; these include (but not limited to) blast injuries to skin and tissue, haemorrhagic shock and fractures. The project will be led by a multi-disciplinary team bringing together subject matter experts that rarely meet, such as experts in trauma care, emergency medicine, innovation management and manufacturing, and will achieve the following outputs: - A review of current research capability and knowledge- sharing of current breakthroughs - Enhancing understanding of the use of RDM in deployed medical care - Identification of and development of promising RDM technologies that support treatment pathways in deployed operations - Capture of military and civilian emergency medical requirements and applications for RDM - Systematic identification and comparison of needs, applications, technologies and resources The overall outcome for the research will be the creation of 'communities of practice', producing real world demonstrators covering both the business and technical aspects of implementing RDM in deployed medical care, bringing the potential to advance the UK's capability in RDM, delivering impact to clinicians, practitioners and patients. The research will help shape how the UK Ministry of Defence, prime contractors in the defence sector, emergency and urgent care services and UK Research Council proceed with future R&D investment and resourcing. The outputs of the project will also be disseminated through a website, presentations at relevant national and international conferences, and research centres and a Special Issue journal (Health Services Management Research) and presenting the findings of the project at a showcase event. A final report will be produced, sent electronically to all interested parties, and made available digitally and via social media.
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