Blog

Our Big Data Event, delivered in partnership with Digital Health Ecosystem Wales, The National Data Resource and Advanced Analytics, was a fantastic opportunity to hear powerful evidence of data integration transforming health and social care, practical advice on using data in our everyday work, and inspiration on how to think differently about data.

"...collaboration between healthcare and industry continues to offer opportunities for solutions. More than ever, we must nurture the collaborative efforts of the life sciences sector. And the UK, and Wales in particular, have reason to be bold about our ability to do so."

Last November we hosted Palantir and Google alongside other key data industry experts at Life Sciences Hub Wales. In a series of panel discussions, we explored how data is becoming ever more crucial for transforming health and social care and improving patient outcomes.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board are currently trialling a digital medication management technology to empower people, improve health outcomes, and work toward streamlining health service delivery across Bridgend.

From early unmet need, design, prototyping and clinical trials to real-world clinical evaluations, the NHS brings a new opportunity for Med Tech companies through the TriTech Institute.

Foreign Policy recently released a publication that focussed on the opportunities of working within Wales and the strengths of our Welsh economy. Life Sciences Hub Wales was also featured, where I was delighted to author a piece exploring Wales' strong reputation for healthcare innovation.

In a guest blog to mark World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, Julie Harris, Consultant Antimicrobial Pharmacist at Swansea Bay University Health Board, explores the impact of antimicrobial resistance, how primary and secondary care in Wales is addressing it, and what innovators can do to support healthcare.

It’s an exciting time to be working across digital innovation in Wales, where we’re engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders including health, social care, industry, government and academia. Curious to know what this is like? Our latest blog gives an insight into a recent meeting we hosted to strengthen the ties between Irish and Welsh innovators.

Whether you’re a company developing new technologies to enhance patient outcomes or your business focusses on refining an existing product or service to improve efficiency, you are likely entitled to R&D tax credits.

Last week our team travelled to Liverpool, flying the flag for Wales at this year’s NHS ConfedExpo. Here, I was delighted to give a talk at the AHSN Innovation Stand, providing a Welsh perspective on innovation in health and social care. 

Ahead of the launch of Life Sciences Hub Wales’ Precision Medicine Challenges, we’ve set out a brief history of precision medicine and its prospects.

From virtual tours to mentoring through to placements, you can help develop the next cohort of life scientists and access a talented pool of graduates.

There are organisations, research and resources that can support those embarking, or progressing on their innovation journey. However, with so much information available, where does one start? Last year, I worked for Life Sciences Hub Wales and a range of cross-sector thought leaders to try and make this process easier.   

It’s not an understatement to say that for the pharmaceutical industry, innovation is everything. The sector is entirely driven by it, from early-stage research through to transforming production processes. But it’s not innovation for innovation’s sake. It is innovation with a focus on what can be achieved to improve the public and individual health of our citizens.

It can be difficult to know where to start when gathering insights and information about your chosen sector. Life Sciences Hub Wales can support this through the services offered by our dedicated sector intelligence team.

We’re delighted to launch Life Sciences Hub Wales’ new Achieving Innovation resource. This will equip stakeholders working across industry and health and social care with an evolving suite of resources, best practices and information to support their innovation journey.

Dr John Boulton, Director for NHS Quality Improvement and Patient Safety and Improvement Cymru, explores the important of organisational culture and how we can integrate improvement and innovation.

Miles Burrows, Managing Director, UK and Ireland, of PerkinElmer explores how those working across industry can help to transform our health and social care systems.

Sue Evans, Chief Executive of Social Care Wales, discusses the importance of an integrated approach between healthcare and social care innovation. 

Dr. Chris Subbe, Acute, Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Consultant and Senior Clinical Lecturer, explores how we can successfully embed innovation in health and social care systems. 

Wales is harnessing the potential of the Advanced Therapies innovation. Discover how organisations working across the clinical and supply chain landscape can help shape its future.

The past year has had an unprecedented impact across all areas of industry and health and social care. Here, Cari-Anne Quinn discusses our 2020 learnings and thoughts about the future. 

From 1 to 12 December, we shared twelve highlights from 2020 on our social media channels.
For those of you that missed it, we have captured the round up here!

Here, Cari-Anne Quinn, CEO of Life Sciences Hub Wales, discusses the challenges our healthcare and social services will face over the next decade, exploring how we can address them and ensure people continue living longer, happy and healthier lives.

Welsh businesses have been busy breaking new ground with treatments and also boosting the economy by creating jobs

Learn how Concentric Health, a Welsh health technology startup supporting patients and clinicians to make better healthcare decisions, collaborated with Accelerate to create a digital medical consent forms.

Thank you for the tweets and direct replies to my last blog: The habit of innovation. They confirm that we at Life Sciences Hub Wales are far from being the only ones wanting to use the Covid-19 disruption to learn about ourselves and our system.

During the coronavirus pandemic we have seen a kindness in people and communities like never before. We’ve seen key workers going above and beyond the call of duty to care for the sick and vulnerable. And, we’ve also seen other hidden heroes who have taken to the challenge of developing innovation at pace, in a bid to help fight the pandemic in Wales and across the globe.

The Covid-19 pandemic has confirmed so many of the great things that I believe about my adopted country – Wales. We are acting as a community to protect and help one another. Our NHS and care services provided by local government and the third sector are second to none.

Getting your innovative idea from concept to market is a tough journey. In the healthcare market there is a complex landscape that is highly regulated. Due to insufficient resources an idea that could benefit health care can spend years in development and trials. In some instances the idea may never get to market. Accelerate is changing that.

As we face this current unprecedented challenge, we all need to find new ways of working. The health system is having to adapt very quickly to continue to provide support whilst also prioritising resources for the fight against Coronavirus.

Our health and social care services are facing unprecedented times. The coronavirus outbreak has impacted almost every aspect of our lives - affecting our health and wellness, economy, and the very societal norms that we value.

So you have a potential new solution to a healthcare problem. What’s stopping you getting that to market quickly?

This is a guest blog by Derek Walker, Chief Executive, Wales Co-operative Centre and Professor Hamish Laing, Professor of Enhanced innovation, Engagement and Outcomes, Swansea University and Chair of the Digital Inclusion Alliance Wales.

Over the last few weeks, we have seen industry coming together to support the NHS in ways that were unimaginable just a few months ago. With timeframes for solutions no longer being weeks or months, but now hours and days – it’s inspiring to see such focussed commitment and determination to address the challenge of COVID-19.

Are you looking for a podcast that stimulates your mind? Whether you're commuting, in the bath or on a run, these podcasts are guaranteed to keep you informed and up to date with the latest in the science space.

Most patients in hospitals across Wales, when asked what they wanted most, said they wanted to go home as soon as possible. This desire is one that the NHS is keen to fulfil.

Health Tech innovation is constantly transforming our healthcare capabilities in Wales and beyond.

Healthy Thinking is a podcast by Life Sciences Hub Wales. In each episode we hear from different leading thinkers, innovators and influencers in the health and care industry, to talk about topics that matter today.

How Machine Learning can set you free by Helen Northmore,Programme Delivery Manager, Digital Health Ecosystem Wales

A New Innovation Network for Welsh Health and Social Care by Denise Puckett, Head of Health & Social Care