Nineteen innovations put forward by members of staff from NHS Trusts in the East of England have been shortlisted, they are:

Medical Technology

From Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Consultant Radiologist Dr John Cockburn has put forward two ideas: the Aura Device for increasing needle visibility in ultrasound, a simple, inexpensive, sterile and disposable item and the Perfusion Catheter which maintains blood flow to the limbs during complex procedures, increasing patient safety.

From the same Trust, Consultant Opththalmologist Mr Tom Eke has entered a device for simpler, safer ultra-vitreal injections into the eyeball. This single piece injection-moulded plastic device makes the procedure faster, more comfortable for the patient and is cheaper than existing devices.

Dr Joseph Carter and Dr Peter Young from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, have entered a Non-Interchangeable Connector (NIC) for central venous catheters which would prevent the incorrect drugs from being introduced intravenously.


Software & ICT

Consultant Radiologist Dr Martin Crowe from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Trust has put forward a software program called StageCRAFT which is a faster and more consistent way to carry out cancer staging, enabling prognosis to be determined and the most appropriate treatment identified.

From Cambridgeshire University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Consultant Opththalmologist, Mr Dinesh Verma has entered a Personal Opththalmic Diagnostic System (PODS) using novel technology as an innovative tele-eye screening tool for visual functions. This is to replace current devices used for visual function assessment which are expensive and require a skilled person to operate.

Dr Larry Amure, a GP in NHS Cambridgeshire has devised a ‘Risk to Health indicator’ which presents the risks associated with certain lifestyle factors in a diagrammatic format which means it is easier for patients to understand.

From Mid Essex Hospitals Services NHS Trust, Consultant Anaesthetist and Director of R&D, Professor Sandip Pal, has put forward a software program to determine the severity of a patient’s glaucoma at the time of diagnosis, the expected speed of progression and the overall prognosis. Early diagnosis and accurate estimates of progression can improve care, save vision and reduce treatment costs.

From Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Jehangir Mahaluxmivala has entered Total Knee Replacement and Total Hip Replacement Patient Education Animations for pre-operative patients to reduce anxiety and so result in a swifter recovery.

Patient Safety

Honorary Consultant, Dr Daniel Wheeler from Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has put forward SAFE-Ramp, a novel ampoule opening and syringe labelling device which reduces the risk of syringe mislabelling and improves patient safety. It is a convenient device for clinicians at lower overall costs to healthcare providers.

From Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, Mr Adam Howard, Consultant Vascular Surgeon, has entered an Electronic Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment tool and VTE Champions Programme to improve patient safety.

Consultant Ophthalmologist Miss Susana Ramirez-Florez from Peterborough & Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has devised ‘Flagging Glaucoma: Keeping Patients in Sight’, a patient flagging system linked to the hospital’s internal e-tracking system to monitor individual appointments and alert staff to any delays which could potentially result in visual loss. This provides a safety net which identifies glaucoma patients if they cancel or do not attend.

Moving Care Closer to Home

From Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Foundation Trust, Community Services Manager Marcus Hayward and his team have entered ‘Primary Care Dementia Worker’, a new concept in community services for older people. This centred around the design and piloting of a new approach in caring for older people and dementia which meets the needs of GPs, other community health workers, carers and patients.

Judy Cecil, Continence & Urology Manager, North East Essex Provider Services has devised new equipment which enables a running flow test for men with lower urinary tract symptoms to be carried out in the patient’s home. This helps those who cannot attend a clinic or have problems producing urine samples in a clinic environment.

From West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust, Dr Linda Pearce and her team has put forward a way to avoid hospital admissions for people suffering from symptoms caused by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) through collaborative working between Suffolk COPD Services and East of England Ambulance Service.


Tackling Inequalities

From Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Practice Development Nurse, Stevie Read has put forward the idea of a liaison nurse for people with learning disabilities working in an acute NHS Trust, allowing specific health and safety needs to be addressed.

Lead Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, Anne Harding-Bell at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has devised early intervention and input modelling videos to optimise babble and speech outcomes in cleft palate care, with subtitles in different languages to remove cultural and linguistic barriers.


From NHS North East Essex, Manager of the Chlamydia Screening Office, Jayne Overett has put forward new ideas for Chlamydia Outreach Work, including forming a proactive non-clinical team trained to encourage and carry out screening in locations where young people may go.

Gabriel Tamaya and his team at Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust have entered ‘Respect for Dementia’, a series of materials, including diaries and a DVD, drawing on the life stories of local people affected by dementia with the aim of increasing understanding and respect for the condition.