INGENIOUS NHS STAFF URGED TO ENTER AWARDS
Local health staff are being urged to enter their trailblazing projects for improvements in healthcare into the ‘Making ideas reality’ competition, run by MidTECH, the regional NHS innovation ‘hub’.
A prize fund worth a total of £10,000 will be shared by the winners and runners-up – to invest in the further development of their projects.
The awards – the fifth organised by MidTECH – will be presented at an ‘Oscars’ style ceremony at the Botanical Gardens in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Thursday 26th November 2009.
David Gleaves, chief executive of MidTECH, said: “Our competition is open to all NHS staff in the West Midlands and is aimed at identifying and rewarding individuals and teams who have come up with innovations that have the potential to improve healthcare for patients in this region and beyond.
“Past prize-winners have ranged from ideas for medical devices and rehabilitation or disability aids to software or other information technology and publications and training.
“We are always impressed by the ingenuity, enthusiasm, creativity and commitment demonstrated by NHS employees in developing new initiatives to improve care for patients.
“We want them to tell us about their innovative ideas. It could lead to them winning a prize in these awards – but there may also be potential to progress their projects towards commercial success.”
MidTECH is part of a national network of NHS Innovation Hubs, established by the Department of Health to identify, protect and commercialise innovative ideas from the NHS.
This includes helping to patent or otherwise protect the ideas, linking up with industries that may help to commercialise them – and aiming to ensure that a share of the profits go to the inventor and the NHS Trust where the projects were born.
Last year’s MidTECH overall winner was Ruth Chauhan, development lead for older people at Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull Hospitals for her innovation, called ‘About Me’, which is a method of helping nurses and other staff to understand more about individual patients and their background.
Ruth won £4,000 to spend on further development of the project so that older people with dementia have a ‘life book’ to take with them anywhere – and those caring for them will know the things that are individual to them, helping staff to communicate and care for them better.
A total of 12 finalists were chosen last year, when there were also two runners-up and two ‘Ones to Watch’ awards.
The closing date for entries in this year’s competition is September 14th. Entries can be from individuals or from teams of staff working for NHS organisations in Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull, Coventry, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire.
Anyone interested in entering the competition can find out more by calling 0121 455 0346 or visiting www.midtech.org.uk , where they can apply online.
Further information:
Pam Kaur
Marketing & Client Relations Manager
MidTECH
0121 455 0346
