Encouraging innovation and sustainability in healthcare

By working collaboratively, pledgees are driving innovation and sustainability in healthcare. Find out about some of the recent projects and events they have been involved, below:

Pledgees come together at EMCON 2023

EMCON 2023 was hosted and delivered by our Pledgee, Engineering & Manufacturing Network, at Rainton Arena on Thursday 14th September. Pledgees, Health Innovation for the North East and North Cumbria (HI NENC – formerly known as AHSN NENC), Manufacturing Hub and Northumbria Healthcare Innovation were amongst thirteen exhibitors across the healthcare zone, highlighting opportunities and unresolved needs the healthcare sector are looking to address and the products they are looking to buy.

Anna Bassett, Programme Manager at HI NENC, said: “We were thrilled to be exhibiting at the EMCON 2023 event. The event had a gr

eat turnout, and our stand seemed to be very busy all day! We managed to speak to numerous organisations to spread awareness of the Innovation Pathway and the support available, as well as inform and enrol people onto the HLS Pledge!”

Innovation in the early detection and diagnosis of cancer

The NHS Cancer Programme Innovation Open Calls, supported by SBRI Healthcare and the Accelerated Access Collaborative, have facilitated the practical translation of leading research and innovation, and fast-track high quality, developed innovations into front-line settings.

To date, there have been two rounds of the Open Call competition in 2021 and 2022 and a third call is expected soon.

The competitions

aim to identify market ready innovations that can support the NHS Long Term Plan ambition for the early detection and diagnosis of cancer.

The Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare programme is funded by the Accelerated Access Collaborative and delivered in partnership with the Academic Health Science Network. The Cancer Alliances have supported with regional partnerships and adoption of innovations.

Pledge members work towards a Net Zero NHS

On the 14th of September 2023, the AHSN Network hosted a virtual Green Hospital Innovation Sharing and Learning conference. Currently, there is vast pressure on the UK to reach Net Zero targets by 2050 and more so the NHS (2045), as one of the biggest contributors producing 5% of the total UK emissions delivering healthcare.

The event included talks from global organisations such as Amazon Web Services, local regional innovators and NHS Trusts, including one of our pledge partners NTH Solutions with the Coolnomix Innovation.

To hear more about Coolnomix, please contact Jonathan Rowley.

Hannah Gibson, Sustainability Project Manager for HI NENC, both chaired and facilitated several breakout sessions around Models of Care and Estates focusing on decarbonisation.

For further information on the work HI NENC are doing to support the NHS to reach Net Zero, please contact [email protected].

Healthcare Excellence Through Technology

In September 2023, 150 innovators came together for the annual Healthcare Excellence Through Technology (HETT) event, in London. The event gave the innovators a chance to network and showcase the latest offering of digital health technology developed with the NHS in mind.

Several pledge members were in attendance or exhibiting, including Bayer and HI NENC. Our pledgees were able to network with innovators they have previously supported, as well as meet new innovators who can improve healthcare and patient outcomes in our region.

HETT North will take place on the 28th February 2024. Find out more here.