Health Innovation Expo – Day 1

Yesterday we attended day one of Europe’s largest healthcare innovation event, the Health Innovation Expo, Europe’s held at the ExCel Centre in London. The Expo is a two-day event showcasing some of the world’s most inspiring healthcare innovations and including a range of speakers from MPs to top senior NHS officials.

We attended a number of the seminars and talks including the opening keynote from NHS chief executive, Sir David Nicholson, who delivered an impassionate talk on why the NHS is about to go through the most significant changes in its history.

Innovation not cost cutting will be the key driver of that change he said, “If the ‘body language’ of the NHS of the future is ‘how do we cut costs?’ that will not deliver great healthcare.” 

The Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, spoke about the need for the UK to adopt digital health records and said he has asked the NHS to go paperless by 2018 referencing that Denmark has already done so.

Hunt spoke about innovation happening in the UK already referencing Skype (Microsoft owned) and how Newham University Hospital has reduced missed appointments by 11% using it for diabetic outpatient appointments.

Hunt said, “But, we need to go much further, much faster. And we should not underestimate the size of the prize. With a paperless NHS, we may well be the largest fully online health economy in the world – with massive implications for improved patient safety, genuine patient empowerment and self-management as well as scientific research.”

Finally, the NHS announced the launch of the Health Apps Library, a directory of a trusted source of health apps that will help people manage their health. Of course Windows RT apps are available.

We also bumped in to our friends at eRedbook at the App Centre (see picture below). The eRedBook is the UK's first digital Personal Child Health Record, providing parents and clinicians with the tools they need to effectively manage a child's healthcare from day one. It uses Microsoft HealthVault to store all the data. The project involves partners, Microsoft, SiteKit, Harlow Printing and the Royal College of Health Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

While visiting the NHS Innovation Expo the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, mentioned how as a father of a 1yr old, he's excited about eRedBook! Great news.

To read our review of Day 2 - please visit out second NHS Expo blog here .