HISES appoint 3 Innovation Fellows as part of the NHS Scotland Fellowship programme

By Samantha Smith August 11, 2022

Clinical Innovation is receiving attention as the key to developing new models of health and care delivery and supporting fresh thinking that creates value – devising new ways of working, new models of care, and solutions that can impact patient care. It is also recognised that skills gaps in the workforce are a key barrier. For Scotland to achieve its aim, we need a workforce that has the knowledge and skills they need to lead successful innovation in health and care.

Through the Scottish Health and Industry Partnership (SHIP), the Scottish Government will support and invest in innovative opportunities developed through a triple helix approach to collaborations between NHS and Social Care, industry and academia. As a key next step to support our ambition, Cohort 1 of the Innovation Fellowship Scheme was launched in May 2022.

The aim of the Innovation Fellowship Scheme is to strengthen the innovation culture to solve real problems in the NHS and social care, improving the quality, efficiency and sustainability of health and care delivery and supporting NHS Scotland’s Re-mobilise, Recover, Re-design Framework.

The scheme will provide funding for protected time to contribute to, conduct and lead innovation projects and to develop an innovation career within their post, increasing capacity in priority areas. Up to 3 places per Regional Test Bed were available (up to 9 places in total). Following a thorough and highly competitive application process, HISES are excited to announce the appointment of the first 3 Innovation Fellows within the South East region!

Meet the HISES Innovation Fellows

Dr Yvonne Chun PhD MBBS

Consultant Stroke Physician at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Border General Hospital

As well as being a Consultant Stroke Physician across NHS Lothian and NHS Borders, Yvonne is also an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh.

“I am delighted to be awarded the NHS Innovation Fellowship. In the next 2 years I will focus on the testing and development of Care Calendar-a digital innovation that aims to tackle the multiple challenges we face in the health service.”

The challenges

Delayed or missed care leads to patient harm, poor outcomes, and increased length of stay. The lack of real-time data to guide managers in planning elective admissions and staffing contributes to poor patient flow and an increasing backlog of elective admissions. Patients are disempowered, not knowing what and when care events are meant to take place.

A solution for multiple problems

  • Care Calendar is an interactive digital calendar designed to enable clinical teams to plan, prompt, deliver, record, and monitor care events along the patient journey, both in the hospital and in the community.
  • Care pathways can be programmed by clinicians and tailored to their specialty or the individual patient. Staff can feel confident that the right care is delivered at the right time, every time. Real-time data will help clinical managers predict discharges, plan elective admissions and staffing efficiently. Patients will be empowered in their own healthcare journey via the patient interface.
  • I will be collaborating with key stakeholders and our industry partner to progress Care Calendar through its technological co-development, combining robust clinical testing and iterative design to ensure Care Calendar achieve its full capabilities.

Dr Rishi Ramaesh

Consultant Radiologist, NHS Lothian & NHS Fife

“As part of the NHS Scotland Innovation Programme, I will be working on a project entitled ‘Catching it Early: Artificial Intelligence and Cancer Diagnostics’.

Artificial intelligence within medical imaging is an exciting and fast-paced area of innovation and has the potential to revolutionise healthcare diagnostics.

However, much more work and study are needed to ensure that AI tools are effective and safe to use in radiology. This project will mainly focus on using AI in cancer imaging and build on some of the existing collaboration between industry partners, academia, and the health service.

Two areas of development which are particularly exciting and innovative are in how we can utilise machine learning to detect lung cancer earlier and how we can use machine learning and radiomic analysis to personalise cancer treatments for patients.”

Joyce Henderson

Lead Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner, Paediatric Orthopaedics at Victoria Hospital in NHS Fife

As an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist, Joyce has worked in a variety of clinical roles within NHS Fife, HSCP, including 15 years in Community Paediatrics, specialising in MSK and Respiratory roles. However, in the past 7 years, Joyce has found that her passion lies in the speciality of Paediatric Orthopaedics and Leads the Fife wide Baby Hip surveillance service, based in Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. As an experienced clinician Joyce is committed to delivering the principles of Realistic Medicine and Value based health and care.

“I am delighted to be awarded one of the first NHS Scotland Clinical Innovation Fellowships. I am particularly pleased as an AHP that I have been given this opportunity to work with world leading experts within Industry and Academia. Supported by HISES, SHIP and NHS Fife Research, Innovation and Knowledge team, I will lead on an innovation project which aims to enhance diagnostic capabilities, improve patient outcomes, as well as develop efficient, effective clinical pathways which are not only sustainable but fit for the future needs of our population.”

 

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"This fellowship is an exciting development within NHS Scotland and a clear sign that Scotland is ready and willing to develop and be early adopters of the latest technical advancements. It also demonstrates that there is strong commitment to developing and supporting all NHS staff as innovators."

Joyce Henderson, NHS Fife