Competition searching for bright ideas in healthcare
Healthcare professionals in the North East and North Cumbria that are developing pioneering solutions to improve patient care are being invited to submit their ideas to the Bright Ideas in Health Awards competition.
Now in its 15th year, the competition celebrates the work that is being done from frontline staff and SMEs in the North East and North Cumbria.
The awards are open to all healthcare professionals and regional SMEs who are involved in improving healthcare and include five categories for entrants to submit their ideas to: Development of an Innovative Device or Technology; Service Improvement; Innovation Champion of the Year; Demonstrating an Impact upon Patient Safety and Research Impact: Improving Patient Care.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 29 November at the Newcastle Gateshead Hilton Hotel. The winners will receive a cash prize to help them develop their ideas as well as specialist support from experts at the Academic Health Service Network for the North East and North Cumbria (AHSN NENC).
Dr Nicola Wesley, chief operations officer at AHSN NENC, said: “We are looking forward to celebrating the region’s brightest healthcare pioneers at this year’s Bright Ideas in Health Awards.
“Over the past 15 years, the Awards have gone from strength to strength and have grown to become one of the most highly sought after and respected accolades in the region’s healthcare sector.
“The Awards are a fantastic showcase of the bright ideas that help to improve patient care and innovation in the NHS. We eagerly anticipate another year of outstanding entries from the individuals and teams working within the NHS, industry and academia, who have risen to the challenge of developing innovative solutions to tackle the healthcare challenges we face today.”
Charlotte Fox from City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust was part of the winning entry in last year’s Innovative Technology or Device category.
“I’d encourage anyone with a great idea – whether it’s a groundbreaking piece of technology or a better way of delivering a service – to enter the competition, as the Awards can lead to new opportunities to develop your ideas further. It is a really exciting time to be working in healthcare in the North East and I am looking forward to finding out more about this year’s entrants," Fox said.
Last year’s winners included a non-invasive test for bladder cancer; a specialist training programme for allergies; a laboratory sample pallet; an Acute Kidney Injury awareness initiative; falls prevention training; treatment for inherited kidney disease; and a direct GP booking service.
A team from City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust won the 2017 Innovative Technology or Device category for its Laboratory Sample Pallet project; designed to improve efficiencies, reduce costs and save on bench space.
Inventor Andrew Turner, who was part of the team said: “It was a great honour to win the Innovative Technology or Device category at the 2017 Bright Ideas in Health Awards, and fantastic for the whole team to be recognised for our hard work. The success gave us all a huge boost and demonstrated how a team from a number of different healthcare backgrounds can come together to drive greater efficiencies in the NHS.”
The closing date for the competition is 17 September. Interested parties can apply here.