Business leaders gather for NHS insights

Almost a hundred Lancashire SMEs and University Academics gathered at UCLan’s Engineering Innovation Centre (EIC) to learn more about doing business with the NHS.

The “Selling to the NHS” event, organised by Lancashire Health Matters - a fully-funded Programme that helps Lancashire SMEs access, navigate and sell to the NHS - is a collaboration between UCLan and the Innovation Agency.

The Innovation Agency is an NHS organisation that aims to spread innovative products and services in the health and care system to benefit patients.

In a series of mini events throughout the day, Business Leaders and Academics heard from Lancashire SMEs already on the Programme, as well as hearing insights into how the NHS works, how to open the right doors, speak to the right people and what’s involved in selling, or selling more,  to the NHS.

Businesses already on the Programme formed a Q&A panel, led by Steve Adams (Commercial Programme Manager) and Peter Leather (Programme Director). They shared how they were benefitting from being on the Programme and how their products were helping the NHS deliver better patient care.  

This included a company whose invention will improve workforce utilisation meaning clinical staff have more time to help more patients. A company whose new product will help prevent patients being readmitted into hospital, and a company who is keeping patients safe whilst in hospital, preventing falls which cost the NHS around £1bn each year.

In an interactive session, attendees were given the opportunity to share their ideas and products in an open discussion with peers.

Alongside Business Leaders were Academics from the University who work with businesses to gather Real World Validation helping them evidence clinical outcomes, which is instrumental when selling products to the NHS.

Steve Adams, Commercial Programme Manager, said: “We were delighted with the attendance. We met and heard from some fantastic Lancashire businesses whose inventions, products and services are helping the NHS be more effective. If you have a product or service that can help improve patient care, find out more about our fully-funded programme here: https://www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk/lancashire-health-matters