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May 2026

Dear colleague,

Next month the Health Innovation Network is hosting an Innovation Insights webinar that outlines a scheme we've led to reduce high-dose opioid use in a Lancashire Community.

The work led to a 33 per cent reduction in opioid use, and some patients reported that they'd stopped using the drugs altogether. We're particularly proud of this work because not only were we partners in developing the pathway, we also evaluated its efficacy. It's a great example of our convening expert partners while demonstrating the value of an innovation to colleagues.

Elsewhere in this newsletter we have an update on our well established programme to reduce the impact of fuel poverty. What's appealing about the latest development is that it shows how a simple tweak to a system – rather than the adoption of sophisticated technology – can bring remarkable benefits to patients.

I hope you agree these two examples, among others in this newsletter, illustrate both the range of our programmes and their capacity to deliver impacts.

Yours, Phil

Dr Phil Jennings

Chief Executive

Fuel poverty text message of hope

A simple text message was at the heart of a successful campaign to support people whose health condition makes them vulnerable to the impact of fuel poverty. The scheme, part of a long-running campaign to reduce the impact of fuel poverty, saved patients a total of £114,000 in lower energy bills and other savings – around £260 for each client. Read more on our website.

News

Robotics on the rise at Confed

Health Innovation North West Coast's Associate Director of Digital Transformation Jenni West will chair an NHS ConfedExpo session to explore how the science of robotics could be harnessed to deliver health and care solutions. Robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) are reliable, precise, resilient and cost-effective, and there are existing technologies in other industries that could be deployed to help meet our challenges. More details about the session on 11 June are here.

Cancer innovation review panel

The four northern health innovation networks are hosting a lunchtime session on 16 July that focuses on cancer innovations currently in use in the NHS. The themes will be productivity, early diagnosis, self-management and better patient outcomes, and the session will appeal to clinicians, oncology commissioning leads and provider and ICB innovation leads. Register here.

Lipid lunch and learn webinars

The Health Innovation North West Coast team has hosted a series of webinars to bring together expert clinicians to explore the latest session, on busting myths about statins, here, and catch up with the whole series on our website.

Heart failure practical guides

Heart failure is a complex, long-term condition, affecting around 920,000 people in the UK. Despite 40 per cent of patients experiencing symptoms that could have prompted earlier assessment in primary care, 80 per cent of heart failure cases are currently diagnosed after an emergency hospital, resulting in poorer outcomes and increased pressure on services.

To help address these challenges, the Health Innovation Network has developed a suite of practical guides designed to improve the heart failure pathway from early identification through to long-term management and end-of-life care. Visit the Health Innovation Network website.

Call for evidence: new strategy for mental health care

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is inviting frontline workers, clinicians and mental health experts to share their views on how to transform mental health care for children and adults in England, as the government launches a Call for Evidence to shape its once-in-a-generation cross-government Mental Health Strategy. It will run for either weeks until 10 July 2026. The strategy will drive a fundamental shift towards prevention – treating people earlier and faster and supporting those with mental health conditions to live a full life and stay active in education, work, family life and their communities.

Martha's Rule case study

Martha's Rule is a structured approach to changing how hospitals detect and respond to deterioration in care. It ensures concerns are accurately captured and acted upon and enables staff, patients and their carers to request a rapid review if they feel unheard. You can read more in this case study from the Health Innovation Network. For Health innovation North West Coast's contribution to the implementation of Martha's Rule, visit our website.

Shape our Excel in Health webinars

Our Excel in Health webinars help companies with products and services to sell to the NHS. We've previously covered such areas as procurement and commissioning, funding, investment and evaluation and real-world evidence. Now we need your help to shape future webinars, and we'd value suggestions from innovators and commercial teams about what topics would be most helpful to explore. You can find out more in this LinkedIn post from Kevin Moreton, our Head of International Programmes.

Momentum Accelerator: Recruitment opens 1 June 2026

Are you a company already making an impact with your innovation, but ready to spread and scale further across the NHS? Following two successful years, the Momentum Accelerator returns in 2026 with an enhanced focus on supporting SMEs to secure funding, strengthen investment readiness, and accelerate adoption within healthcare systems.

The programme offers exper-led masterclass sessions focused on key challenges facing health innovators, tailored 1:1 support from experienced partners, opportunities to refine and strengthen your value proposition, and guidance to help unlock grant, investment, and commercial funding opportunities to support sustainable growth and scale. Visit the webpage for full details and how to apply.

Net Zero Innovation webinar

Imperial College Health Partners (ICHP), the health innovation network for North West London, recently hosted a Net Zero Innovation Spotlight webinar, focused on practical innovations supporting the NHS journey to net zero. The session highlighted solutions already being explored with NHS organisations, including approaches to improving air quality, reducing emissions and using data to identify meaningful sustainability opportunities. Watch the webinar and connect with brilliant innovators.

Network news

The Health Innovation Network has launched a monthly newsletter that brings updates from all 15 health innovation networks. You can read the first newsletter on the Health Innovation Network website and sign up via this link.

Blogs & Podcasts

BLOG: Black maternity is back in the spotlight, but this is not a new story

Ruth Butler, Senior Associate with Representation Matters and one of the education leads for the Black Maternity Matters programme, has produced a guest blog for the Health innovation Network. She considers how we might move from awareness to action to tackle the inequitable outcomes faced by Black birthers and their babies. Black Maternity Matters was founded in 2021 by Representation Matters, BCohCO, Black Mothers Matter and Health Innovation West of England.

Events

Liverpool City Region Investment Fortnight

1-12 June,

More than £2bn of investment opportunities will be showcased at a two-week festival highlighting the breadth, depth and quality of place-based innovation across the Liverpool City Region. LCR Innovation Investment Fortnight (IIF) will feature more than 20 events covering topics ranging from the city region's strengths in life sciences innovation to maritime, games development, AI and sports science. Find out more.

Liverpool Shared Research Facilities Showcase 2026

9 June, 9.30am to 4pm

With an opening address from Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Jones, this event offers the chance to meet the university's specialist teams and hear case studies from users who have advanced their research through shared research facilities. The showcase will appeal to academic and industrial researchers driving fundamental or applied research, and industry partners and commercial organisations exploring applied research, product development, or testing capabilities. Find out more.

The Big Pitch 2026

8 June, 9am to 5pm, QE11 Conference Centre, London

The NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (CEP) celebrates its 10‑year anniversary with a special Big Pitch event. It will bring together a decade of innovation, showcasing the exceptional talent, creativity and impact of our entrepreneurs. This will be an inspiring day where visionary clinicians and innovators present ground-breaking ideas that continue to shape the future of healthcare. Find out more.

From challenge to change – Innovation tackling addiction

15 June, 12.30pm to 2pm. Register on Eventbrite

Join Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber for this action-oriented webinar. The session will bring together national policy leaders, regional system partners, researchers and innovators to explore how we can make progress on addiction in alcohol, tobacco, gambling and substance use.

Sci-Tech Daresbury Business Breakfast networking

19 June, 8.15am to 10.15am

Connect with some of the North's most dynamic hi-tech entrepreneurs, corporates, universities, support organisations and funding and professional communities. Find out more.

Innovation Insights webinar: Reducing high-dose opioid harm through a co-designed patient-centred pathway

24 June, 12pm, online

Reducing high-dose opioid prescribing can leave patients stuck between services and, too often, without the right support. Health innovation North West Coast is sharing the story and evidence behind Medication Awareness Pathway Support (MAPS), a co-designed, patient-centred pathway bringing together primary care and specialist drug and alcohol support to deliver structured reviews, personalised reduction plans, and holistic patient support. Click here for registration details.

The Health Foundation webinar: Tackling economic inactivity – local action on mental health and employment

25 June, 12.15pm to 1.30pm, online

Long-term sickness is now the primary driver of economic inactivity, with mental health conditions accounting for a significant and growing proportion of this trend. This presents a major challenge for local economies seeking to deliver inclusive growth, increase labour market participation, and meet workforce demand. This Health Foundation webinar will explore how places can translate national ambition into effective local action - by integrating mental health and employment support to help more people enter, remain in, and progress in work. Find out more.

ClimbUK: festival of business growth

1-2 July, Leeds Dock, Leeds

ClimbUK brings together ambition, insight, and opportunity. It's an event where founders pitch to the right people, investors discover what's next, and SMEs unlock new ways to scale. Find out more.

Bionow neuroscience conference

9 July, 8.30am to 4.30pm, Sheffield town hall

The conference brings together academics, clinicians and industry leaders to explore breakthroughs in the discovery, development and delivery of treatments for neurological diseases. Find out more.

Bionow Business Pitching

14 July, 9am to 11am, Sci-Tech Daresbury

This dynamic business pitching event aims to bring the life science and biomedical sectors together. Find out more.

www.healthinnovationnwc.nhs.uk

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