Celebrating innovation at STSFT Innovation Showcase Event
April 2024 Newsletter
The April 2024 Newsletter is now available. Read our top stories below or read the full version of the newsletter for the latest funding opportunities, events and Pledgee news.
STSFT Innovation Showcase Event
Last month, the Innovation Team at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT) invited partners to celebrate the innovations and collaborations that are contributing to improved patient care at the Trust. Speakers at the event included: Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, who presented about the importance of innovation within healthcare and navigating the innovation pathway; and Northumbria University and Teesside University, who touched on how academia can assist in innovation.
Two innovations were presented: The Sunderland Cookbook project (see our December issue for more information), who were recently a finalist for the Medilink North Partnership with Secondary Care award with Sunderland Creatives Agency and fellow HLS Pledgee, the University of Sunderland. The Shoulder Reduction Bench, a piece of medical equipment that uses an adapted bench to manipulate the patient’s shoulder instead of a resuscitation bed. Use of the device has led to proven time and cost savings for the A&E departments at the Trust and has had positive feedback from patients.The Innovators and STSFT Innovation Team are currently working with fellow HLS Pledgee, Samson Forth Associates Ltd, to commercialise the device. The partnership won Bronze in the Best Healthcare Provider Partnership with the NHS award at the recent HSJ Partnership Awards.
Andy Stevenson, Director at Samson Forth Associates, said: “The award is testament to the collaboration and working relationship between Samson Forth and the Trust, with two small innovative teams working together to commercialise a product with the longer-term benefits to the NHS and its patients always being kept in mind.”
North East Life Sciences Conference
Health and Life Sciences Pledgees Health Innovation North East North Cumbria, NIHR Clinical Research Network, MedConnect, Diagnostics North East, North East Innovation Lab, NortHFutures, and NIHR Newcastle In Vitro Diagnostics Co-operative were amongst a few to exhibit at the North East Life Sciences Conference, held last month at the Catalyst in Newcastle.
The day was filled with networking opportunities, alongside an inspiring agenda featuring panel discussions. Within these panels, decision-makers and leaders in the health and life sciences industry shared their insights and perspectives.
The five panels at the North East Life Sciences Conference 2024 included:
- The economic future for life sciences
- Skills for the future
- Digital health and health technology
- Adopting new technologies
- Sustainability.