Innovation Agency

The way primary care services are delivered is changing, with different specialists on hand via GP practices and with a growing number of diagnostic tests, screening and treatments available in community pharmacies.   We explore what's in store for primary care in Cheshire and Merseyside after the launch of a new strategic framework which offers a timeline of actions at both local and system level. Dr Jonathan Griffiths, Associate Medical Director for Primary Care at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside; and Adam Irvine, Community Pharmacy Lead at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, are in conversation with Dr Phil Jennings, Chief Executive of Health Innovation North West Coast.  Greg Stringer introduces the conversation. Useful links: The first two chapters of the Primary Care Strategic Framework are here: https://www.cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk/about/cheshire-and-merseyside-health-and-care-partnership/ The NHS Primary Care Access Recovery Plan is here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/delivery-plan-for-recovering-access-to-primary-care/ Find out more about the Pharmacy First service: https://cpe.org.uk/national-pharmacy-services/advanced-services/pharmacy-first-service/

For anyone involved in an emergency or needing urgent treatment, the experience can be scary and prolonged. For those who have cancer, the prospect is far more daunting.  In Cheshire and Merseyside, health leaders have collaborated to create pathways and processes which ensure that cancer patients can avoid visits to A&E and potentially long stays in hospital awaiting decisions and treatment.  We hear how they created a model which is now being held up as an exemplar nationally.  Caroline Kenyon is in conversation with Dr Ernie Marshall, consultant medical oncologist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust; Dr Ragit Varia, acute medical lead for the urgent cancer care programme based at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; and Mel Warwick, programme lead.  Useful links NHS Providers case study: https://nhsproviders.org/providers-deliver-trusts-in-systems/the-clatterbridge-cancer-centre-nhs-foundation-trust  The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust: https://www.clatterbridgecc.nhs.uk/ 

Gideon Ben-Tovim OBE talks about the passions and experiences which have shaped his leadership, as he prepares to step down after ten years as Chair of the Innovation Agency. A former researcher and author on race relations; Liverpool City Council Labour leader; chair of Liverpool Primary Care Trust; and champion of the natural environment, Gideon recalls pivotal moments in his career – and in the history of his home city.  CLANG: Connect, keep Learning, Be Active, Take Notice and Give – devised by Gideon Ben-Tovim OBE.

Changes to the way diagnostic tests and screening are carried out in Cheshire and Merseyside mean many more tests are being carried out in more centres around the region.  A system-wide transformation programme has streamlined processes and introduced a new, flexible staffing system, while improving access to tests for patients.  Guests Liz Bishop and Dr Ash Bassi explain how the transformation is being carried out, in conversation with Caroline Kenyon. Liz is Chief Executive of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust and lead for the Cheshire and Merseyside Diagnostic Transformation Programme; and Senior Responsible Officer for Cancer in Cheshire and Merseyside.    Ash is a consultant gastroenterologist at St Helens and Knowsley NHS Foundation Trust; Clinical Lead for the Cheshire and Merseyside Endoscopy Network; and North West Transformation Lead for Endoscopy. Diagnostics - NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Cheshire and Merseyside leading the way to improved diagnostic testing - NHS Cheshire and Merseyside

An entrepreneurial doctor whose company is backed by the Innovation Agency, has become an Innovation Fellow with the NHS Innovation Accelerator. Dr Michael Watts has helped to create a patient-centred, emergency-support software system designed to improve safety in maternity - Emergency Role Allocation (ERA). ERA was the brainchild of midwife Caroline Lacey, of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. Michael is one of 17 new Innovation Fellows, selected to help spread cutting-edge solutions with the potential to transform healthcare. In this podcast, Michael and Caroline tell us how the innovation came about – and the potential for the system to improve the safety of patients in a range of settings.   News story: https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/news/Medic-backed-by-Innovation-Agency-joins-NHS-innovation-accelerator NHS Innovation Accelerator: https://www.england.nhs.uk/aac/ Blum Health: https://blumtechgroup.com/ NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme: https://www.england.nhs.uk/aac/what-we-do/how-can-the-aac-help-me/clinical-entrepreneur-programme

This episode explores innovations in cardiovascular disease management being delivered to patients in primary care. In particular, the conversation focusses on lipids management and the introduction of a new treatment pathway which includes novel therapies. Innovation Agency chief executive Dr Phil Jennings talks to Dr Jim Moore, GP and president of the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society. To find out more about the Innovation Agency's work in CVD, visit: https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/lipids-and-cholesterol-management Visit the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society website: www.pccsuk.org  The Innovation Agency is part of the AHSN Network: https://www.ahsnnetwork.com/

The Innovation Agency is working with NHS Cheshire and Merseyside to help people at increased risk because of the combination of suffering a respiratory or cardiovascular condition and living in a cold home. It's part of NHS England's Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme (InHIP) which seeks to address local healthcare inequalities experienced by deprived and other under-served populations. We hear from Professor Rowan Pritchard-Jones, Executive Medical Director of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, about how joining up data from different systems can enable health professionals to pinpoint individuals at increased need of help. If you are interested in finding out more, please email Rhiannon.Clarke@innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk or info@innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk. 

The family of a 29 year old Cheshire man who died suddenly from heart failure have been diagnosed with a genetic condition which causes abnormally high levels of cholesterol. The condition is familial hypercholesterolaemia, or FH; and the family of the late Mike Clarke have now been tested for FH at a new screening service for Cheshire and Merseyside.  In this podcast we hear from Mike's brother Simon and three people behind the new testing service, clinical lead Consultant Chemical Pathologist Dr Shirley Bowles; Consultant Chemical Pathologist Dr David Oleesky; and FH service specialist nurse Julia Finch. They're in conversation with Caroline Kenyon. A fundraising page has been set up by Katie Bridge, Mike Clarke's sister, in aid of Cardiac Risk in the Young: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/katie-bridges2 Find out more about the Innovation Agency's work on lipids and cholesterol management on the website: https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/lipids-and-cholesterol-management

A significant number of people across the North West Coast are unaware that they have high blood pressure. And during the pandemic, the British Heart Foundation reported that nearly half a million people in the UK missed out on starting medication to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. In this podcast, Dr Andy Knox, a GP in Lancashire and Cumbria who is also the area's associate medical director for population health; and the Innovation Agency's CVD prevention programme lead Dr Julia Reynolds tell Nigel Thompson how they hope to turn the tide by identifying more people with high blood pressure - many of whom are blissfully unaware they may have it. 

Asthma presents a continuing challenge across primary care and research has shown that despite best efforts the numbers of patients who require optimisation and access to advanced therapies remains high. The Liverpool Severe Asthma Service (LSAS), which covers Cheshire and Merseyside, has been accelerating access to specialist care for asthma patients through innovative pathway transformation work. A campaign is now underway to encourage early referral to specialist asthma services, for patients at risk of having severe asthma. In this podcast, we hear from asthma specialists and a patient about the impact of the transformed pathway. 

The Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) sets out a new NHS approach to developing and maintaining effective systems and processes for responding to patient safety incidents, for the purpose of learning and improving patient safety. In the north west, a collaboration involving NHS England, Aqua, Health Innovation Manchester and the Innovation Agency is helping organisations to implement the framework by offering information, guidance and coaching.  This podcast was recorded at St Helens Rugby Stadium in December 2022 at the second of four learning sessions arranged by the collaborative. Featuring the views of speakers and delegates, the podcast offers a snapshot of how the framework is being shared and received across the region.

Helping establish productive links between businesses and health and social care to benefit patients is just one of the roles of the Innovation Agency's Enterprise and Growth team. At this autumn's Healthcare Excellence Through Technology conference in London, a number of businesses who have capitalised on close ties with the team exhibited their work. In this edition of the Innovation Agency podcast Nigel Thompson met some of them and heard more about how the Enterprise and Growth team helps to bridge the gap between health and businesses.

One of the keynote speakers at the Innovation Agency Bridging the Gap event was Lindsey Hughes, Director of Research and Engagement in the Innovation, Research and Life Sciences Group and Accelerated Access Collaborative at NHS England.  Bridging the Gap was one of a series of events held by different AHSNs around the country and featured workshops and presentations aimed at supporting businesses and clinical entrepreneurs to progress or spread their innovations.   View a gallery of photos, videos and slides from the event: https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/events/Bridging-the-Gap-Conference

Realising the benefits of remote monitoring Identifying the benefits of using technology to monitor care outside hospital is vital in securing support and investment for spreading its use. This includes benefits to patients and carers and benefits to staff and health and care budgets.  This presentation at the Bridging the Gap event offered insights into how a multiagency approach and system support is helping to scale up technology-enabled care in the North West Coast. The speakers were Janet King, Regional Director of Digital Transformation at NHS England; Casey Black, Data Analyst at the Innovation Agency; and Tony Woods, Director of Ops and Digital at the Innovation Agency. Bridging the Gap was one of a series of events held by different AHSNs around the country and featured workshops and presentations aimed at supporting businesses and clinical entrepreneurs to progress or spread their innovations.   View a gallery of photos, videos and slides from the event: https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/events/Bridging-the-Gap-Conference

Delegates to the Bridging the Gap event heard how the University of Central Lancashire is playing a major role in supporting innovation in the North West Coast. Professor StJohn Crean, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, who is an honorary consultant in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay, was a keynote speaker at the conference. View a gallery of photos, videos and slides from the event: https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/events/Bridging-the-Gap-Conference

An innovator who started building a prototype in a bedroom and went on to build a med tech company now exporting worldwide, told his story at the Bridging the Gap event in Liverpool.  Jordan Van Flute of Inovus Medical shared his experiences and lessons learned along the way, to inspire innovators attending the conference. View a gallery of photos, videos and slides from the event:  https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/events/Bridging-the-Gap-Conference

The Bridging the Gap conference heard from successful clinician and entrepreneur, Dr Mark Ratnarajah, who shared his story of combining his work as a paediatrician with building businesses. He is managing director of C2-Ai, a system which is recognised as providing best practice in waiting list and referral management by the NHS Getting It Right First Time programme. View a gallery of photos, videos and slides from the event: https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/events/Bridging-the-Gap-Conference

Healthcare innovators and NHS leaders were brought together at the Innovation Agency's Bridging the Gap event in Liverpool.  The event was one of a series of events held by different AHSNs around the country and featured workshops and presentations aimed at supporting businesses and clinical entrepreneurs to progress or spread their innovations.   This series of presentation podcasts starts with a scene-setting overview of how AHSNs are helping to bridge the innovation gap; from the Innovation Agency's Chief Executive Dr Phil Jennings and Mike Kenny, Co-Director of Enterprise and Growth.  View a gallery of photos, videos and slides from the event: https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/events/Bridging-the-Gap-Conference

Efforts to tackle the lasting effects of the pandemic were considered by delegates at the Healthcare Excellence Through Technology event held at the Excel Centre in London. Dr Phil Jennings, Chief Executive of the Innovation Agency, chaired a discussion to consider what support can be offered to reduce the backlog of operations. His guests included Alison Johnson, Director of Programmes with ORCHA, Pip Hodgson, Head of National Digital Product, NHS England Transformation Directorate, Sarah Dougan former Director of Population Health Intelligence North Central London and now an independent consulant and Tara Scott-Sowter, Director of Customer Success Induction Healthcare.

Clinicians in primary and secondary care in Cheshire and Merseyside have signed up to a new protocol setting out principles to guide how they will interact with each other. The guide is aimed at improving communications between staff in hospitals and GP surgeries, for the benefit of patients.  Innovation Agency Chief Executive and GP Dr Phil Jennings finds out why and what this is aiming to solve, from the protocol authors, Professor Rowan Pritchard-Jones, Medical Director for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside; and Dr Jonathan Griffiths, GP and Primary Care Advisor to the Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Consensus on the primary and secondary care interface, Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership: https://www.cheshireandmerseysidepartnership.co.uk/consensus-on-the-primary-and-secondary-care-interface/

One of the big challenges facing innovators in the NHS is how to get the funding and support to turn a great idea or prototype into reality.  In this podcast, two inspiring individuals talk about how they are helping innovators to realise their dreams. Professor Tony Young OBE, National Clinical Lead for Innovation NHS England and NHS Improvement and founder of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneurs Programme, joins a conversation with Lorna Green, founding chief executive of LYVA Labs, a new investment fund for health innovators in Liverpool City Region. Useful links: NHS Clinical Entrepreneurs Programme: https://nhscep.com/ LYVA Labs: https://lyvalabs.com/ Life saving sepsis innovator receives funding from LYVA Labs: https://lyvalabs.com/2022/05/24/life-saving-sepsis-innovator-secures-funding-from-lyva-labs/

Core20PLUS5 and the Innovation Agency Core20PLUS5 is a national NHS England and NHS Improvement approach to support the reduction of health inequalities at both national and system level. The approach defines a target population cohort – the ‘Core20PLUS' – and identifies five clinical areas requiring accelerated improvement. Eileen O'Meara, Clinical Director of the NW Health Inequalities Hub explains what Core20PLUS5 is about and how it is being implemented. Andrew Cooper describes how the Innovation Agency is embedding this targeted approach in projects and programmes in the North West Coast. Find out more on the NHS England and NHS Improvement website: https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/core20plus5/#:~:text=Core20PLUS5%20is%20a%20national%20NHS,clinical%20areas%20requiring%20accelerated%20improvement. To suggest future topics on this theme, please email Caroline.Kenyon@innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk

A shortlist of proposals for the New Hospitals Programme in Lancashire and South Cumbria has been announced. This is a significant development for the programme, which plans to develop new, cutting-edge facilities, offering the absolute best in modern healthcare and addressing significant problems with the ageing Royal Preston Hospital and Royal Lancaster Infirmary buildings. Caroline Kenyon talks to three of the people leading the programme about how they reached this important milestone – and how they are going to make the final decision on the best option for the region.   The podcast guests are:  ·       Jerry Hawker, Executive Director for the Lancashire and South Cumbria New Hospitals Programme  ·       Jane Kenny, Lead Nurse at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust ·       Dr Somnath Kumar, Consultant Cardiologist at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Useful links A transcript of the podcast can be found here: https://newhospitals.info/news/new-podcast-discusses-shortlisted-proposals-for-new-hospital-facilities-in-lancashire-and-south-cumbria  ·       Shortlist of proposals: https://newhospitals.info/shortlist  ·       Survey: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/NewHospitalsSurvey/  ·       New Hospitals Programme Case for Change: https://newhospitals.info/CaseForChange  ·       More about the New Hospitals Programme: https://newhospitals.info  ·       About the Lancashire and South Cumbria Health and Care Partnership, the region's integrated care system: https://healthierlsc.co.uk 

Mums, musicians and lullabies – and the health benefits New parents in Cheshire and Merseyside are being brought together with musicians to create lullabies for their babies in a creative health project which has been imported from New York's Carnegie Hall. The Lullaby Project is being delivered by the charity Live Music Now through the Cheshire and Merseyside Women and Children's Partnership, funded by the NHS. An online event heard from some of the mums and musicians as well as those delivering the project in New York and in Cheshire and Merseyside. This podcast covers part two of the event.  Listen to the recorded lullabies on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/livemusicnowlullaby/sets/lullaby-nw?si=95744cda92ce42fca85e7846222f763b Find out more: Cheshire and Merseyside Baby Week wrap-up: https://www.improvingme.org.uk/about-us/news/cheshire-and-merseyside-baby-week-wrap-up/ Carnegie Hall Lullaby Project: https://www.carnegiehall.org/Education/Programs/Lullaby-Project Photo credit: Matt Thomas

New parents in Cheshire and Merseyside are being brought together with musicians to create lullabies for their babies in a creative health project which has been imported from New York's Carnegie Hall. The Lullaby Project is being delivered by the charity Live Music Now through the Cheshire and Merseyside Women and Children's Partnership, funded by the NHS. An online event heard from some of the mums and musicians as well as those delivering the project in New York and in Cheshire and Merseyside. This podcast covers part one of the event. Listen to the recorded lullabies on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/livemusicnowlullaby/sets/lullaby-nw?si=95744cda92ce42fca85e7846222f763b Find out more: Cheshire and Merseyside Baby Week wrap-up: https://www.improvingme.org.uk/about-us/news/cheshire-and-merseyside-baby-week-wrap-up/ Carnegie Hall Lullaby Project: https://www.carnegiehall.org/Education/Programs/Lullaby-Project Photo credit: Matt Thomas

It's the biggest cause of disability and premature death in the UK yet, in some cases, early diagnosis of high blood pressure could help reduce the numbers affected.  Home blood pressure monitoring, or BP@Home, has been launched in the North West Coast and across England. The process enables patients to remotely record their BP without visiting their doctor. In this edition of the podcast Caroline Kenyon talks to Jane Briers, a former specialist cardiac nurse, who is leading the blood pressure at home programme for the Innovation Agency. They're joined by Dr Jonathan Griffiths, a GP in Cheshire and clinical lead for Cheshire and Merseyside for the BP at home project, who explains how the programme is already paying off.

As we digest the outcomes of COP26, this podcast with one of the North West's leading academics on sustainability shares some important lessons for organisations starting on the journey to net zero. Professor John Whitton is the Director of the Research Centre for Sustainable Transitions at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and attended events at COP26. He talks to Caroline Kenyon about his frustration and his hopefulness following the landmark event. Find about more about the UCLan Research Centre for Sustainable Transitions on the website https://www.uclan.ac.uk/research/centres/sustainable-transitions

Familial hypercholesterolaemia (or FH for short) is an inherited condition which can lead to extremely high cholesterol levels. It's passed down through families and without treatment, FH can lead to heart disease at a very young age. But it can be treated with medicines and a healthy lifestyle. The key is diagnosis. A pilot scheme supported by the Innovation Agency is aiming to help increase the number of cases of FH, detected at an early age. Dr Sue Kemsley, a GP in Cheshire, is leading the parent-child screening programme for FH and has been explaining more about how it works and the significant difference it could make. GP practices wishing to join the pilot are welcome to contact Dr Julia Reynolds, associate director of transformation, at the Innovation Agency Julia.reynolds@innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk

The man who leads the organisation which won recognition at the recent NHS in the North Excellence in Supply Awards has been talking about how the innovative use of digital technology is changing lives. Health Call's systems allow care home staff to remotely monitor residents' health, quickly identify signs of illness, and make electronic referrals to the appropriate NHS service and won the Patient Experience and overall Supplier of the Year categories. The awards celebrate inspirational collaborations between the NHS and its suppliers across the North of England. With almost 4,000 people now registered on the Digital Care Home system, the innovation has enabled more than 30,000 referrals to be made, cut community nurse visits by 30% and saved the NHS around £8 million due to a reduction in unnecessary hospital stays.  The technology has been developed by Durham County Council and the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, which is part of Health Call, a collaboration of seven NHS foundation trusts across the North East and North Cumbria. Ian Dove is Managing Director and met Nigel Thompson at HETT 2021 to explain more about how support from the AHSN network was instrumental in the development of the flourishing scheme.

A care home manager and a care home owner in Lancashire share their pandemic experiences and talk about plans to improve the way information about patients flows between the NHS and social care. They are part of a programme to introduce digital systems which can be accessed by different parts of the NHS and social care, made possible with funding from NHSx. Our guests are Dawn Johnson, manager of Oaklands Nursing Home in Burnley; and Jim Page, owner of Turfcote Manor care home in Rossendale, Lancashire, who talk to the Innovation Agency's Caroline Kenyon. The Innovation Agency Care Homes Safety Network is open to everyone working in care homes and in roles connecting with care homes. Meetings take place four times a year, promoting collaboration and co-production of new procedures in high quality care, managing deterioration and medicine safety. To join the network, please email: connie.sharrock@innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk.

The number of Blackpool mums classed as smokers when they give birth has shown a dramatic decrease. Up to 3,000 women give birth in Blackpool each year. The percentage classed as smokers once stood at 31 per cent. Now the figure is closer to 21 per cent and falling, making the resort one of the most improved areas in the country. The success is down to the efforts of a dedicated nine-strong team who work closely with expectant mums to explain the health benefits of not smoking during pregnancy on their baby. Research shared by the Innovation Agency, the Academic Health Science Network for the North West Coast, has helped provide the Blackpool team with additional insight to help mums make potentially life-changing decisions as Nigel Thompson reports.

Collaborations between NHS organisations and their suppliers have resulted in some remarkable examples of innovation as shown by the shortlist for the NHS in the North Excellence in Supply Awards. They include innovative health and wellbeing checks for health staff in York; the creation of a regional hub in the north east to supply vital PPE; the use of digital tablets to provide music for children, their families and staff at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital; and a shop continuing to supply wigs for patients undergoing chemotherapy. Innovation has been at the heart of response to the pandemic. In his keynote speech to attendees Sir James Mackey, Chief Executive of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Chair of the NHS Customer Board for Procurement and Supply, will tell the NHS in the North Excellence in Supply Awards that he hopes the spirit of collaboration and cooperation will continue. Hear his assessment of the value of procurement partnerships over the past year and his hopes for the future in this podcast: For more details and to book tickets: https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/events/The-NHS-in-the-North-Excellence-in-Supply-Awards-2021 #innovation #EISNorth2021 #supplychain

The NHS Clinical Leaders Network has published a call for action to improve the mental health resilience of frontline healthcare staff caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.Its report is based on surveys, interviews and action learning sets with clinicians and managers and as well as the call for action, it includes some stark testimonies and a series of suggestions for managers and leaders to improve mental health support in the workplace.  Dr Andy Coley and Suzy Ning of the Clinical Leaders Network describe the findings and the recommended actions. Enhancing mental health resilience and anticipating treatment provision of mental health conditions for frontline healthcare workers involved in caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic – A call for action: http://www.cln.nhs.uk/document_uploads/CLN-Paper-V.6.6.pdf

An emergency medicine consultant describes how he and two nurses took action in their own time to help their colleagues cope with the stress of their work. The consultant, Dr Terry McLoughlin of Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, explains how their offer of talking therapy and on-demand yoga and meditation grew from three volunteers into an established service across two hospitals. Terry posts about positivity and kindness on Twitter – follow him @tmcloughlin15.

An NHS leader involved in setting up one of the five Nightingale Hospitals and a mass vaccination centre, made it his mission to create a positive working culture from the start. While the pressure was on to equip and staff two large centres, John Herring made sure there was time to agree a vision, purpose and values. He tells us why it was so important. John Herring is the Strategic Lead for Organisational Development and System Leadership at Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership. Read these blogs by John:Creating culture at speed in a crisis: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/blog/2020/10/creating-culture-speed-crisis Race and class: Working in public service: https://odneurope.org/2018/10/01/john-herring-race-and-class-working-in-public-service/

Looking after staff has never been more important as it is during the intense pressures created by the pandemic. In this podcast we hear how one NHS trust is taking a structured approach to supporting colleagues from the earliest signs of anxiety through to post traumatic stress disorder.   Our interviewee is Nicole Williams, Deputy Director of Organisational Development at Wigan, Wrightington and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust.   This episode is one of a series focussed on improving workplace culture through the lens of wellbeing, equity and innovation.   Find out how the Innovation Agency Coaching Academy can help individuals and organisations to create the right culture, on our website: https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/support/improvement_and_learning/coaching-academy

This is a conversation with Dr Cecil Kullu, a clinical leader in the North West who admits to an insatiable curiosity, always asking questions, exploring innovations - and believing in the power of people to help each other.    Dr Kullu FRCpsych is a Consultant Psychiatrist in Liaison Psychiatry and Deputy Medical Director for Research, Innovation and Development at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust; Interim Chair North West Clinical Senate and previous Chair of Cheshire and Merseyside Clinical Senate.   Useful links to resources mentioned in the podcast:   Enhancing mental health resilience and anticipating treatment provision of mental health conditions for frontline healthcare workers involved in caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic – a call for action: http://www.cln.nhs.uk/document_uploads/CLN-Paper-V.6.6.pdf Life Matters podcasts: https://www.zerosuicidealliance.com/stories/life-matters-podcast-series Zero Suicide Alliance: https://www.zerosuicidealliance.com/ Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust: https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/ Please email info@innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk if you would like this podcast in any other format.

Merseyside was at the epicentre of the UK response to COVID-19 when the country’s first quarantine centre for 50 years was set up at Arrowe Park Hospital.   It was a case of all hands on deck when different organisations as well as the local community stepped up to the challenge of providing a safe haven for their reluctant guests, returning from Wuhan.   In this podcast, recorded on Zoom, we hear from four people at the centre of setting up and running the first COVID-19 quarantine unit:   Medical director of Wirral University Teaching Hospital, Dr Nikki Stevenson GP Dr James Perry of Primary Care Wirral Wirral University Teaching Hospital head of strategic planning Mike Gibbs Public Health England senior registrar Wendi Shepherd.   You can also read this blog by Dr James Perry: https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/05/29/arrowe-park-experience-of-the-multidisciplinary-team-serving-the-uks-first-quarantine-unit-in-40-years/

Creating music can have a powerful impact on wellbeing; and in the case of Carnegie Hall’s Lullaby Project it is supporting maternal health, aiding childhood development, and strengthening the bond between parent and child.    In this podcast, recorded on Zoom, we hear from Tiffany Ortiz, Director of Early Childhood Programs for Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute, and musician Emily Eagen. We will also hear from Karen Irwin of UK charity Live Music Now, which is planning to be a partner in introducing the Lullaby Project to the ​North West of England; and from one of the charity’s musicians Pip Bryan, who is working with patients at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.   To find out more about the Lullaby Project, visit https://www.carnegiehall.org/Education/Social-Impact/Lullaby-Project. Families with young children can also discover many free activities, resources, and more: https://www.carnegiehall.org/Explore/Learn/Families-and-Kids.   To find out more about Live Music Now and how to become a partner in the Live Music Now Lullaby programme in the North West or across the UK, email Karen.irwin@livemusicnow.org.uk (mailto:Karen.irwin@livemusicnow.org.uk) . Check out the free, fun, online concerts for schools and families at:  http://www.livemusicnow.org.uk/lmnonlineschools  

An independent report by The King's Fund author Ben Collins, titled A 'curious experiment' reflects on the challenges and successes of the Innovation Agency over the last seven years. In this podcast, Ben is joined by the founding leaders of the Innovation Agency - Dr Liz Mear and Gideon Ben-Tovim OBE, to discuss his findings.   The report can be found here: https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/media/Resources/Publications/A%20curious%20experiment_Kings%20Fund%20report.pdf

The chairs of Local Enterprise Partnerships in Lancashire and in Liverpool City Region have been at the forefront of efforts to support businesses through the pandemic. Steve Fogg and Asif Hamid MBE share their personal experiences as well as those of the LEPs in this interview, recorded on Zoom.

Two leaders of the Innovation Agency talk about the impact of COVID-19 on themselves and their work; how they pivoted to focus entirely on the needs of the local systems; and their vision of the future healthcare landscape in the North West Coast.   The interviewees are Chief Executive Dr Liz Mear and Deputy Chief Executive/Medical Director Dr Phil Jennings.

Jen Kohan describes how to support a culture in the workplace in which innovation can thrive.

Aviation industry safety expert Gordon Dupont identified 12 elements that influence people to make mistakes – the ‘dirty dozen’. Karla Rimaitis of the Innovation Agency Coaching Academy explains how these are applied in healthcare to reduce risks and keep patients – and staff – safe.

Karla Rimaitis of the Innovation Agency Coaching Academy, reveals her secrets in running a successful meeting or event, using ‘Liberating Structures’, a set of simple techniques; and shares her top three ways to get people talking.

Hear from Juliette Kumar about why it is vital to have psychological safety in the workplace in order to get the best out of people.

Jen Kohan, Head of the Innovation Agency Coaching Academy, has advice for anyone involved in innovation and improvement, on the importance of developing a growth mindset.

What is coaching in the workplace and why do we need it? Innovation Agency Associate Director for Improvement and Education Juliette Kumar explains how coaching skills can transform the way we work.

We return to Alder Hey to hear from engineer Dave Collins who created the 3D model of the ‘impossible tumour’ and the trust’s clinical director of innovation Iain Hennessey, about how 3D printing – and other innovations - are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in medicine.  This episode was recorded on 27 February 2020.

Three of the leaders of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System talk about what needs to be done to improve health and wellbeing in the region. Chief Officer, Dr Amanda Doyle OBE; Executive Director of Transformation, Talib Yaseen OBE; and Executive Medical Director, Andy Curran talk about the area's challenges and the opportunities created through cross-sector collaborations.    Find out more about the work of Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System (https://www.healthierlsc.co.uk/) .