This Connected Health Ecosystem event was held in September 2018 and centred around the opportunities for collaboration, and the transformative power of harnessing our digital capabilities across Northern Health and Social Care.
This event saw all three Northern Ecosystems, and all four Northern Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), together with the ECHAlliance, delivering a joint event - 'Digital Health in the North'. Over 250 delegates from across industry, academia, the NHS, Social Care, and wider public sector, gathered at King's House Conference Centre in Manchester for the meeting.
The event was opened by a welcome and introduction from representatives of all four AHSNs (Richard Stubbs, Chief Executive, Yorkshire & Humber, who chaired the event; Liz Mear, Chief Executive, Innovation Agency; Linda Whalley, Strategic Advisor, Health Innovation Manchester; and Seamus O’Neill, Chief Executive Officer, AHSN North East and North Cumbria). Following a tribute to the late Keith Chantler, Director of Innovation, CMFT NHS Trust & Executive Director, Trustech, and a friend and colleague to many in attendance, the event heard from its Keynote Speakers.
Following the introduction, Bleddyn Rees, Deputy Chair of the European Connected Health Alliance (ECHAlliance) spoke on the importance of being able to harness skills and opportunities from across Europe and beyond. The ECHAlliance is well positioned to act as a valued connector across different geographies and healthcare landscapes through their international network of Ecosystems. Working in partnership with Ecosystem co-ordinators, the ECHAlliance helps enable this, and supports its members to access funding and learning in a changing and complex environment.
Delegates then heard from Paul Rice, Head of Technology Strategy at NHS England, who spoke on some of the fantastic work being done through initiatives such as Local Health & Care Records Exemplars, Global Digital Exemplars (two of whom presented later in the morning), Digital Innovation & Research Hubs, and the ongoing work to improve inter-operability and the patient experience.
The next presentation was from Sarah Rodgers, Professor of Health Informatics at the University of Liverpool, who talked about the opportunities within academia to help understand, develop, and deliver research that enables better health outcomes. One particular example is that of SAIL, the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank, which houses a multitude of datasets in a safe and secure environment.
There then followed a Panel Discussion and Q&A via sli.do, before the second half of the morning got underway with presentations from some of the Norths best Digital Assets. Each asset showcased why they were leaders in their field, and how they were utilising existing digital capabilities as well as harnessing new ones, to improve services and champion innovation in the NHS.
The day finished with pitches from seven invited SMEs. Representing GM were two companies. Firstly, d2 Digital by Design, who developed an award-winning collaborative mobile app for stroke mimics with Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, North West Ambulance Service, Greater Manchester Stroke Operational Delivery Network and Connected Health Cities. Secondly, IQ Media, who through funding support from Health Innovation Manchester, and research conducted by the Health e-Research Centre (HeRC) and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, developed a digital platform to help combat Child Obesity.
Attendees were then able to network over lunch and visit the exhibition stands in the First Floor Hall. Exhibitors in attendance are featured here.
The GM Connected Health Ecosystem would like to thank all colleagues who assisted in the organisation of the day, the speakers and delegates in attendance, and in particular the event sponsors -the University of Manchester's Health e-Research Centre HeRC, Health Innovation Manchester, Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, North East & North Cumbria AHSN, and the ECHAlliance.
You can read more about the day by searching #DigiHealthNorth on Twitter
The Ecosystem, which is coordinated by Digital Futures, plays an important role in bringing together key organisations and personnel in this area, creating a platform for sharing new and important policy developments, research, funding opportunities and innovations. To keep up-to-date with future Ecosystem events, news and opportunities, sign-up to our newsletter here.
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