Tomorrow’s health innovators looking to improve patient lives today
New ideas are set to help enhance patient care thanks to a group of specially selected people working with Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.
Over 20 clinical and non-clinical, internal and external innovators have been chosen to join the Trust’s Innovation Fellowship, which is the largest cohort since the programme began in 2018.
The Innovation Fellowship programme was created to help advance improvements in patient care, encouraging and supporting its innovators to develop, test and advance new ideas, all designed to make improvements in care for patients, staff and communities.
Some of the highlights of this year’s innovator ideas include:
- CardMedic - an app designed to help clinicians speak to patients when there are communications barriers, such as language or learning disabilities.
- LinkMedics - a digital platform connecting British overseas trained doctors with training and employment opportunities in the NHS, handling everything from doctor sourcing, compliance training and integration for NHS Trusts.
- Optirad by Hexarad - a workflow management tool which helps improve efficiency in radiology departments.
- DeepMedical - predicts appointment non-attendance with unprecedented accuracy. By knowing who is not turning up ahead of time, hospitals are equipped with tools that increase access to their services at no extra operational or workforce costs.
Charlotte Williams, Chief Strategy and Improvement Officer at the Trust, who leads on Innovation, said: “We are about supporting people to make these ideas a reality, discovering exciting new ways that technology can help benefit patents and support staff. We’ve an amazing group of 22 passionate and focussed Fellows and can’t wait to see how they can help make a difference in care in hospital and in the community not just across Essex, but the country and beyond.”
The group introduced their projects to one another at a recent launch event held at Broomfield Hospital, also attending was Matt Whitty, Chief Executive, Accelerated Access Collaborative and Director of Innovation, Research and Life Sciences, NHS England and NHS Improvement, who spoke about the importance of innovation in the NHS as part of an Innovation Showcase.
He said: “Through research and innovation we can improve patient outcomes and reduce health inequalities and so it is important to celebrate and spotlight their impact. It’s a great pleasure to visit Mid and South Essex and meet those helping to get some of the NHS’s most promising healthcare innovations to patients faster.”
The showcase highlighted innovations across mid and south Essex, with Integrated Care System (ICS) teams displaying robotic pets, Raizer chairs and other great ideas that have supported care for older residents and those with frailty.
Anthony McKeever, Chief Executive Officer for Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System said, “This event was a fantastic example of the wide-reaching nature of our health and care partnership.
“It highlights how our entire system can come together to advance patient care, as well as assist clinical entrepreneurs with their ongoing work.
“I am very much looking forward to seeing how this will help make a difference to the care our residents experience through the use of exciting and groundbreaking new technology.”
Discover more of the Innovation Fellowship projects from this year’s cohort here: Our Innovation Fellowships | Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (mse.nhs.uk).