Bright Ideas in Health Awards 2021

10th May 2021

Innovation has been embraced within healthcare during the pandemic and there has been countless examples of new products and services developed and implemented at incredible speed and scale. As an AHSN working closely with our regional members to identify and develop innovations for patient benefit, we have witnessed this first-hand.

As the Bright Ideas in Health Awards returns after a year-long hiatus, our Innovation Manager, Mark Taylor, writes about why innovators from across the region should enter the awards to enable friends, colleagues and peers to celebrate the many achievements over the last year.

The time of the year has come where we launch the Bright Ideas in Health Awards (BIHA), which celebrate success and innovation across the healthcare sector in the North East and North Cumbria. This year’s BIHA comes following last year’s missed event which was cancelled due to the strain the COVID-19 pandemic had put on the healthcare system.

Working with the Trusts across the region in my capacity as an Innovation Manager, I know first-hand the great work which is ongoing in the NHS on a daily basis, as well as the fantastic asset that the staff are in innovating to improve patient care and enhance their experience. The pandemic has shone a spotlight on the achievements within our health and social care system and highlighted how valuable the NHS is within the region and the UK as a whole.

This last year has also shown the value of health innovation and has led to different ways of working, different approaches to care delivery, and testing being delivered at pace and scale.  We’ve seen some amazing examples of cross-sector collaboration between NHS, academia and industry as the region stepped up to tackle some of the many challenges posed by Covid-19.

Within our regional NHS Trusts, the positive impacts of some of this work has resulted in some elements being adopted as standard practice for future working. In addition, some projects have already been picked up by national teams to be rolled out wider.

The BIHA provide an opportunity to reflect on the last 12-24 months and celebrate some of the innovations which have helped to make a difference or have the potential to make a difference within healthcare across a variety of different categories. It is also a good time to look back at some of the previous entrants and the success they have had since winning, being shortlisted or even just applying.

The Bright Ideas in Health Awards, depending upon the category, is open to all SMEs, NHS organisations and academic institutions in the North East of England and North Cumbria. To enter, visit the Awards website at: https://brightideasinhealth.org.uk/