Innovative developments from NHS honoured
A BLOOD testing technology that can significantly improve the effectiveness of antibiotics and a new development in the way clinical staff work with special needs children were two of the winnersat a major awards ceremony highlighting innovations being developed within the National Health Service.
The Medipex NHS Innovation Awards, now in their fifth year, provide a platform to showcase new technology developed by the NHS with benefits that can be adopted and used both regionally and nationally.
The awards are backed by Medipex, the organisation that helps nurture the development and commercialisation of innovation within the region’s NHS.
Joint winners in the medical devices & diagnostics category were Tom Darton of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for his blood testing tool to improve the effectiveness of antibiotics and Andy Speechley and Avril McCarthy of Independent Care Products and the NIHR Devices for Dignity HTC for the ‘Dignity’ Mobile Bidet/Dryer Commode.
The blood testing tool for antibiotics reduces the time it takes to screen potentially infected blood from one to two days to just four hours, significantly improving the prescribing of antibiotics and reducing the cost, duration and side effects associated with excessive antibiotic use.
The ‘Dignity’ Mobile Bidet/Dryer Commode provides an essential tool to allow the disabled and elderly to clean themselves after using the toilet, providing a degree of independence to users even if they cannot access the bathroom.
The device has developed considerable interest in many healthcare environments such as nursing homes and among rehabilitation experts as it is the first significant improvement to toileting function in decades.
Richard Clark, chief executive of Medipex said: “Medipex have been actively involved with the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority in helping achieve the identification, development, adoption and diffusion of innovation, and these awards show the depth of creativeness taking place with the region’s NHS. Many of the entrants to these awards, including the winners, provide technologies and procedures that can be used throughout the NHS to improve the welfare of patients across the country.”
Judith Short of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust was the winner in the publications & training materials category for her work on improving the way staff communicate with special needs children.
The idea was developed after she saw the anxiety created in children being treated and wanted to find ways for them to better communicate their feelings and needs. This led to the creation of a range of communication and information resources that both carers and patients can use.
The software & ICT category saw Shawn Larson of NHS Connecting for Health take first place for a cutting edge tool to help train staff in X-ray and radiology procedures.
His ‘Virtual Cath Lab – VCL’ provides a real time 3D version of X-ray (fluoroscopy) equipment and the clinical radiological procedure that can be controlled by the user and used on any PC.
Currently this kind of procedure is carried out with live equipment, the VCL removes this need increases the speed and efficacy of training, reduces cost and impacts positively upon safety by removing radiation.
