Bristol Health Innovation Showcase 2011

Welcome to the Bristol Health Innovation Showcase

Bristol is frequently held up as a beacon of innovation and nowhere is this more true than

in healthcare. This booklet brings together just a few of Bristol’s recent outstanding health

innovation achievements and also gives a glimpse of what the future might bring.

These health innovations - new treatments, devices, tools and services - are changing the

lives of patients and revolutionising their care and quality of life. They are also leading to the

creation of new businesses and innovative new ways to deliver health services.

In many cases they also demonstrate how long-term research undertaken in Bristol’s

Universities and NHS Trusts is changing the way we all live and are treated by health

professionals.

By working together in partnership in Bristol we have created a vibrant and responsive health

community well-equipped to take on the challenges of the future. There is no doubt that this

community will continue to be an outstanding source of healthcare innovations and we are

working to support and accelerate the sometimes difficult journey from an idea through to a

treatment, product or service that really changes patients lives.

I hope that in reading these examples you are inspired and motivated to join in and support the

next wave of health innovations created in Bristol.

Dr Neil BradshawChair, BRIG-H Innovation Working Group

Contents

Adults with Asperger Syndrome: Plugging the service gap 1

Appearance matters 2

Babies and cot death 3

BoneSave: A novel synthetic bone substitute 4

Bristol Active Life Project 5

Chemotherapy - does it work for you? 6

CISS - Electronic outpatient prescribing 7

Clinical need to clinical device 8

CO2 improves tests for anxiety 9

Cooling babies reduces brain damage 10

Deep brain stimulation and anterior cingulotomy for depression 11

DocCom: Enterprise networking for healthcare 12

Improving access 13

Increasing live donor kidney transplantation 14

Mental health matters: Court assessment and referral service 15

Monitoring children’s development after cardiac surgery 16

Neonatal discharge train: Supporting families 17

New hospital at Southmead 18

New therapies for autoimmune diseases 19

OdoReader - Diagnosing bacterial infections at the bedside 20

Peer support programme combats teenage smoking 21

Promoting recovery: The journey back to work 22

Safe Sit 23

Safety and advantages of beating heart coronary surgery 24

The Skin Analyser: 3D and 2D imaging for tele-diagnostics 25

Stroke Talk making communication easier 26

Teledermatology: Rapid dermatological advice for GPs 27

Treatment for childhood obesity 28

The World’s first adult stem cell transplant 29

Understanding patient experience 30

Bristol Research and Innovation Group for Health (BRIG-H) 31

Benefits:

● Plugs service gap for adults with Asperger Syndrome ● Increased access to diagnosis, needs assessment and

signposting● Improved mental wellbeing and life outcomes for

individuals● Improvement in the ability of mainstream services to

support effectively adults with Asperger Syndrome● Supports Government strategy for adults with autism

Impact:

● Training delivered to 500 health and social care professionals, employment agencies and JobCentre Plus staff

● National recognition as example of best practice; presented to All-Party Parliamentary Group on Autism, House of Commons; recent visit by Paul Burstow MP, Care Services Minister.

● Significant contribution to ‘Fulfilling and rewarding lives: the strategy for adults with autism in England’, Department of Health, March 2010

● Significant contribution to regional and national guidance on service provision and commissioning

● BASS service model is now being replicated in other regions across the UK

Adults with Asperger Syndrome: Plugging the service gap

Autism spectrum conditions affect around 1% of the population. People with a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome have average or above average IQ and typically find social interaction and communication difficult.

The Bristol Autism Spectrum Service (BASS) was established to fill the service vacuum for adults with Asperger Syndrome, and to help equip mainstream services to better meet their needs.

The Service

● Facilitates assessment and diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome for adults● Comprehensive programme of post-diagnostic support● Provides autism training to mainstream service providers ● Undertakes supervision of professionals supporting adults with Asperger Syndrome

Project Leaders: Dr Ian Ensum, Matt Trerise, Annie Alexander, Amy Baddeley, Dr Rona Aldridge, Dr Peter Carpenter, Simon Allen and Gemma Allen, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

BRIG-H Partners:

1

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

NHS Bristol

Appearance is a major concern for many people. More than 1 million people in the UK have some form of visible difference or disfigurement.

Conditions such as cleft lip and palate, burns injuries and cancer treatment can have a significant impact on patients’ appearance and psychological well-being.

Appearance concerns are not the preserve of people living with a visible difference - more than 80% of the general population have appearance-related concerns of some kind.

Innovation:

Centre for Appearance Research has developed a range of psychosocial interventions to support those affected by appearance-related concerns informed by findings from ongoing research including the largest study to date into adjustment to visible difference.

Current interventions:

● Online interventions for adults and young people FaceIT and YP-faceIT

● Structured manual to guide psychosocial specialists working in this field and support for patients making decisions about appearance-related surgery

● They are based on psychological principles including those from cognitive behavioural therapy and social interaction skills training

● Service users have been involved throughout the development and evaluation of the interventions, which will be available nationally and internationally

Benefits:

● Improved satisfaction with care and quality of life amongst those affected by appearance-related concerns

● Health professionals working with those affected will have access to a variety of interventions to improve patient care and psychosocial support

● Additional resources accessible to policy makers in the NHS and education providers

Project Leaders: Professor Nichola Rumsey and Dr Diana Harcourt, University of the West of England Bristol

Funding: Range of sources including charities (The Healing Foundation, VTCT, Changing Faces, Breast Cancer Campaign)

BRIG-H Partners:

Other collaborators: University College, London; Warwick University; University of Sheffield; University of Bradford

Appearance matters

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North Bristol NHS Trust NHS Bristol

How research led to a life saving campaign

As a result of his work, Professor Fleming was named one of the UK’s pioneers of science in ‘Eureka UK’, a book celebrating 50 years of life-changing research, developments and interventions by academics at universities throughout the UK.

Initial research and life saving recommendations:● Babies should not sleep face down● Babies should not be covered in too many blankets● Babies should not be exposed to parental tobacco smoke

Additional recommendations:

● Babies should sleep in a room where an adult is present both day and night

● Babies should be in a cot beside the parental bed for the first six months of life

Global Impact:

● 100,000 babies saved worldwide● 1980’s research led to 90’s “Back to Sleep” campaign● After two years the number of cot deaths had fallen

by nearly 70% – the equivalent of saving 12 babies a week

● UK Cot Deaths reduced by 80% over last two decades

Babies and cot death

Project Leaders: Professor Peter Fleming, University of Bristol

Funding: Foundation for the study of Infant Deaths

BRIG-H Partners:

Other Collaborators: Primary Care Trusts (SouthWest)

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BoneSave is a synthetic ceramic bone grafting material that is a reliable and effective alternative to conventional bone grafting.

BoneSave was designed, manufactured and clinically tested by a team of researchers at the University of Bristol, Southmead Hospital and Stryker, an implant company.

How BoneSave works● A natural alternative to donated bone ● BoneSave is made of medical grade ceramic granules ● It is reliable when not central to structural stability ● Granules used to fill damaged and missing areas of bone● Granules will be gradually resorbed and replaced for normal bone

Benefits

● A biocompatible matrix● Structural stability ● Lowers infection rates ● Many surgery uses (Hips, spine, knees etc)● Dramatically cuts need for repeat surgery ● Improve health outcomes● Higher patient satisfaction ● Significant cost savings

Patient Impact:

● First implanted in hip surgery in 2002 in Bristol● Launched as a product by Stryker in 2003 ● Currently used in over 175 hospitals in the UK ● Used in 1,550 UK operations (2008 - 2009) ● Increased use in US, Australia and globally

BoneSave: A novel synthetic bone substitute

Project Leaders: Professor Ashley Blom, North Bristol NHS Trust

Funding: OSCOR Lillie Foundation, Stryker, Royal College of Surgeons

BRIG-H Partners:

Other Collaborators: Stryker

4

Benefits:

● Improved physical and mental health● Challenges mental health stigma and supports social inclusion● Creates qualifications, volunteering and

employment opportunities and builds confidence and restores motivation

Impact:

● 489 referrals to BALP, with 6,591 attendances at 18 weekly physical activity sessions in community leisure facilities

● 21 sports qualifications achieved by service users and volunteers

● BALP has created volunteering opportunities and employed 2 service users

● ‘Active Life’ spread across Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

● BALP recognized as good practice: ‘Sport and Physical Activity for Mental Health’, David Carless and Kitrina Douglas, 2010

Project Leaders: Helen Abbott, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS TrustJonathan Amphlett, Bristol City CouncilMargot Hodgson, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust Mark Owen, Bristol City CouncilPaul Davies, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

BRIG-H Partners:

Funding: The Football FoundationOther Collaborators: Voluntary Sector, Mental Health Service Users, Football Foundation, Sports Leisure Management, Evaluation of BALP by an independent consultant, Walking the Way to Health

Bristol Active Life Project

Bristol Active Life Project (BALP) works in partnership with people who experience severe and enduring mental illness by enabling them to improve their own health through taking part in sport and exercise in community leisure facilities.

BALP promotes healthy lifestyles, breaks down barriers of mental health stigma and discrimination, and provides training and volunteering opportunities for service users.

The Programme:● BALP promotes recovery through graded supported sessions for service users, bridging the gap between hospital and community● Diet, exercise and smoking cessation support● Supports service users to gain recognized sports training qualifications● Provides work experience and volunteering opportunities

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A rapid predictive test for leukaemia patient response to chemotherapy.

30% of patients with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia do not respond to first line chemotherapy using Cytarabine. This project has produced a rapid test system that can be carried out on blood samples from patients and will predict their response to chemotherapy.

The test system

● Uses a bioluminescent bacterial biosensor ● Gives a result within hours● Suitable for routine use● Cheap to produce

Benefits:

● Patient sensitivity can be assessed BEFORE the start of a chemotherapy course

● Chemotherapy treatment can be tailored to individual patients

● Allows high-risk patient groups, such as the elderly, who may not be eligible for standard chemotherapy, to receive individually tailored doses, according to their sensitivity

● Indicates alternative treatment for drug resistant patients

Impact:

● Improved patient quality of life● NHS savings due to reduced hospitalisation of

patients with severe side-effects from high dose chemotherapy

● Improved treatment for patients who are resistant to standard chemotherapy, with subsequent reduction in morbidity and mortality.

● Will result in savings of £15 million per annum for the NHS

Chemotherapy - does it work for you?

Project Leader: Professor Vyv Salisbury, University of the West of EnglandDr Priyanka Mehta, UHBristol NHS TrustDr Elizabeth Anderson, University of the West of EnglandDr Ann Smith, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation TrustProfessor Graham Smith, Frimley Park Hospital NHS TrustBristol Adult Leukaemia Support Group

Funding: Randox Laboratories Ltd, Technology Strategy Board and National Institute of Health Research

BRIG-H Partners:

Other collaborators: Randox Laboratories Ltd

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© Crown Copyright 2005

The Challenge

North Bristol NHS Trust identified a number of prescribing requirements:● Identification of prescribing issues and cost benefits ● Additional controls on prescribing● Recovery of costs of drugs ● Better support communication with General Practice ● Clearer typewritten prescriptions

The Innovative Solution

● Electronic outpatient prescribing ● Clinical Information System Suite (CISS) developed and introduced across the Trust● Detailed electronic recording and reporting for each patient

Benefits:

● Doctors have visibility of what their colleagues have prescribed

● Doctors able to produce repeat prescriptions more quickly

● Drugs prescribed at outpatient clinics are now stored electronically

● Scanning patient numbers reduces errors and improves patient safety

● Improved patient care● Recovery and saving of drug costs

Impact :

● Outpatient prescribing is now auditable and more controlled

● Reduction of inappropriate prescribing and length of prescriptions

● Allows wider and more detailed interrogation of prescribing across the Trust

● Trust can recover costs which would otherwise be lost and make new savings

● £400,000 plus current and projected annual savings from many departmental budgets

● System innovation used to create 50 other applications across the Trust

Project Leaders: Mr Martin Bell, Mr Simeon Barron, Mrs Fran Draper, Mr Andrew Davies, North Bristol NHS Trust

Funding: North Bristol NHS Trust

BRIG-H Partners:

CISS - Electronic outpatient prescribing

76

VibraTip®

A new pocket-sized disposable device for rapidly, reliably and hygienically testing the integrity of vibration sense.

Peripheral neuropathy often occurs in diabetes. The ability to detect vibration is often the first sense to be affected. Impaired sensation leads to increased risks of tissue injury, infection and loss.

Limitations of Tuning Forks

● Standard tuning forks are routinely used to test the sense of vibration ● A tuning fork is applied directly to the skin and patients asked whether they feel vibration● The pressure and coldness of a tuning fork is often mistaken for vibration ● Vibration strength depends on how hard it is struck, further reducing specificity● Tuning forks are cumbersome and rarely available at the point of use

The VibraTip® Alternative

● Provides a constant and reproducible source of vibration

● Wipe-clean, disposable, key fob-sized device ● Applied to skin more gently, discretely, consistently

and rapidly ● Spherical head facilitates use from any angle ● Easy to carry and make available at point of use

How VibraTip® works

● Contains a battery powered micro-vibrating motor ● Spherical head is gently placed on patient’s skin

twice, each time for about half a second and the device activated once. The patient is asked which of the two touches vibrated.

● Almost silent operation provides a highly specific assessment of vibration perception

Benefits and Impact

● More reliable and quicker vibration sense test ● Helps reduce spread of infections● Certified for use as a Medical Device in the EU ● USA FDA application in progress● Novo Nordisk purchased 30,000 as promotional

give-aways

Clinical need to clinical device

Project Leader: Professor Andy Levy, University of Bristol

Funding: NIHR, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Private finance initiative

BRIG-H Partners:

Other collaborators: McCallan Ltd

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Inhalation of CO2 enriched air is being used to better understanding and test

for anxiety.

A state of anxiety can be induced in healthy human test subjects when they inhale air enriched with known concentrations of carbon dioxide. This discovery, by Bristol scientists, has led directly to the development of a new testing methodology for investigating anxiety.

The use of CO2 inhalation is now routinely used in tests investigating the effects of different stimuli on anxiety and

for testing anti-anxiety or antidepressant drugs.

The method gives:

● More objective measures of anxiety: Robust, replicable increases in anxiety● More accurate models of anxiety: 20 minute window where cognitive testing can take place● Applicable in healthy volunteer and patient groups● Cost and time savings e.g. novel drug development

Bristol research benefiting:

● Response to stress in cigarette smokers ● Anxiety and driver performance● Link between smoking and anxiety / depression ● A single test platform for anti-anxiety /

antidepressant drugs● Anxiety and threat detection

Others benefiting

● Cross-university collaboration, University of Southampton Working with medical companies through research development

This methodology may lead to new therapies to relieve stress and depression

CO2 improves tests for anxiety

Project Leaders: Professor Marcus Munafò and Dr Angela Attwood University of Bristol

Funding: National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression

BRIG-H Partners:

Other Collaborators: Ministry of Defense, Transport Research Laboratory, Pfizer Inc

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Novel Treatment

● Lower the affected babies’ body temperature to 33.5°C● This induces total body hypothermia● Baby kept at this temperature for 72 hours● Gradually re-warmed in intensive care● 44 % survived in clinical trial without any neurological abnormality● Only 28 % of the non-cooled babies survived healthy● Mental and motor development (at 18 months) significantly better in cooled babies● Discovery that addition of Xenon gas could add

to the protective effects of cooling is now being studied in a clinical trial

Success and benefits

● 1200 severely asphyxiated infants were recruited to 5 international randomised clinical trials between 1999 and 2006.

● December 2006 introduced as standard care in Bristol’s two neonatal intensive care units

● South West now has a fast cooling transport transfer service for all babies with severe asphyxia

● 60% babies now survive without significant injury compared to 30% previously in Bristol

● Mortality in Bristol reduced from 34% (prior to cooling) to 13%

● Could avoid brain damage in over 800 babies a year if used across UK

● Recommended by NICE for asphyxiated babies in May 2010

● Recommended by “ILCOR” the International council for resuscitation in October 2010

● Implemented worldwide and will save thousands of infants from death and disability

Cooling babies reduces brain damage

Brain damage caused by lack of oxygen (Asphyxia) at birth can

be prevented if infants are given cooling treatment within the

first six hours of life.

The Problem

● Asphyxia happens when a baby’s brain and other vital organs are starved of oxygen or blood flow at birth● Asphyxia can be difficult to detect before a baby is born● If untreated it will cause serious brain damage or death in 70% of infants● Brain injury in survivors may lead to cerebral palsy and developmental delay

Project Leaders: Professor Marianne Thoresen, University of Bristol

BRIG-H Partners:

Funding: Medical Research Council, Olympic Medical, SPARKS

Other collaborators: Imperial College London, Oxford University, Leeds University, Belfast University Forty-two hospitals in the UK, Hungary, Sweden, Israel and Finland took part in the clinical trial

10

North Bristol NHS TrustUniversity Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

Benefits and Impact:

● Treatment offers hope for people who suffer with severe and intractable depression

● Increasing the accuracy and efficacy of treatments; and decreasing side effects

● Other applications for DBS possible e.g. recent success using DBS to control blood pressure● Bristol is at the forefront of this exciting research;

no other group in the world uses same specific techniques.

Sheila’s Story

Grandmother Sheila Cook from Torquay is the first patient in the world to benefit from this technology. She fought a long, hard battle with depression for almost a decade and attempted to take her life on more than one occasion.

She only responded temporarily to conventional treatments, she received DBS in 2007 and advanced stereotactic cingulotomy in 2010. Sheila is now a happy 62-year-old who is beginning to enjoy life again.

Deep brain stimulation and anterior cingulotomy for depression

Pioneering neurosurgical treatments could help people who suffer with severe depression.

Depression

● Depression is an illness that affects about 20% of people at least once in their lifetime● About 10% of these are still unwell after three years● Chronic depression can be severely disabling ● Personal distress is high and over 15% die by suicide ● Societal costs of severe depression are in excess of £1 billion per year● None of our patients are in employment and 60% need support from family members

Pioneering Treatments

● MRI-guided stereotactic procedures using guide tubes is a pioneering treatment that enables accurate targeting of brain networks

● Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a pioneering neurosurgical treatment for Depression - It consists of inserting thin wires into the brain that are connected to a ‘pacemaker’. The effects are to inhibit and

stimulate brain circuits that are specific to the condition being treated.● Guide tube assisted anterior cingulotomy is an advanced and pioneering neurosurgical treatment for Depression

Project Leaders: Dr Andrea Malizia, University of Bristol and Mr Nikunj Patel, North Bristol NHS Trust

BRIG-H Partners:

Funding: League of Friends Frenchay Hospital, NIHR, Flexibility and Sustainability Funding, Infrastructure Delivery Funding

Other collaborators: League of Friends at Frenchay Hospital

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DocCom is an award-winning communications technology company that solves problems resulting from inefficient communications within healthcare organisations.

How it works:

DocCom has evolved web 2.0 Social Networking to create a “Healthcare Enterprise Networking” platform that revolutionises how healthcare professionals and their organisations engage with each other. Frontline professionals can connect, collaborate and share to improve productivity, savings potential and patient outcomes. Specific apps are also applied to problems such as high spend from inefficient use of locum healthcare staff, or ineffective targeting of critical safety information.

Highlights

● Productivity, time saving and efficiency improvements

● Informed and engaged healthcare professionals● Peer-to peer exchange of best practice● Enhanced safety and reduced litigation risk● Reduced staff turnover and absenteeism● Better continuity of care, improved outcomes and

earlier hospital discharge for patients● Potential savings of millions of pounds per annum

for healthcare organisations

Future Impact

● Market leader and pace-setter in Enterprise Social Networking for healthcare

● Raising standards, improving engagement and making savings across all UK healthcare

● A transferable model, solving problems and saving money in international healthcare marketsgive-aways

DocCom: Enterprise networking for healthcare

Project Leader: Dr Jonathan Bloor and, Dr Jonathon Shaw, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

Funding: Private finance initiative

BRIG-H Partners:

Other collaborators: Microsoft/Bizspark, Severn Deanery, University of Bristol- Set Squared, Eden Ventures

MEMO

MEMO

MEMO

MEMO

MEMO

MEMO

C O N N E C T

Messages are sent and received via selected channel:

SMS Texts Email

WWW

Online Networking

Healthcare organisations have no way of e�ectively communicating with their dispersed workforces

DocCom provides leading-edge intelligent technology to bridge the communication divide between healthcare

organisations and healthcare professionals.

DocCom

✓  Potential savings of millions of pounds per annum for healthcare organisations

✓ Improves safety and producitivity 

✓ Expanding rapidly in UK market

Enterprise networking for healthcare

www.doccom.info

DocCom the future

✓  Leading a global revolution in healthcare communication

✓  Potential global market of $10 billion

✓  

Market leader in Enterprise Social Networking for healthcare  

DocCom_A2 Posters_2.indd 1 22/09/2010 13:55

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British Sign Language Recovery Plans

Deaf people experience significant difficulties accessing many areas of health care and have a history of being marginalised and disadvantaged. 75% of service users supported by the Bristol Deaf Mental Health Team identify British Sign Language (BSL) as their first language yet the majority of documentation describing their care (recovery plans) are written in English.

An innovative project undertaken by Bristol Deaf Mental Health Team in conjunction with NHS Bristol pioneered the provision of recovery plans made available in BSL to ensure greater ownership of care packages. The work was funded through the Pacesetters Programme, Department of Health.

The Service:

● Recovery plans are provided in DVD format in BSL format

Benefits

● Equitable access to mental health services for Deaf service users

● Allows meaningful service user access to key documents relating to their care

● Extensive consultation resulted in improved service, focused on user needs

● Meets Department of Health best practice guidance concerning equity of access to services irrespective

of disability. ‘Mental Health and Deafness – Towards Equity and Access: Best Practice Guidance’, Department of Health (2005)

Patient Impact:

● Deaf service users have the option to receive their recovery plan in BSL

● Only Deaf Mental Health Service in England to provide recovery plans in BSL

“I really prefer things in BSL-I’m just not confident in English-BSL is my language”, Service User

Improving access

Project Leaders: Dr Mary Griggs, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Christina Gray, NHS Bristol

Funding: Department of Health Funding under Pacesetters programme

BRIG-H Partners:

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Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

NHS Bristol

Success to date

● February 2010 the first HLA incompatible transplant in the South of England outside London

● March 2010 the first blood group incompatible transplant in the South of England outside London

● 7 patients received living donor incompatible transplants to date

● No serious rejection episodes● No other serious side effects

Patient Benefits

● Less time on dialysis for patient & satisfaction for donor in being able to help loved one

● Improved quality of life for patients● 6 of the 7 patients have either increased or started

gainful employment ● One has become the full time carer of his grand-

children ● Each transplant saves the NHS about £150,000 over

10 years compared to remaining on dialysis

Project Leaders: Dr Rommel Ravanan, Dr C Dudley, Mr N Kadi, Mr P Lear, Dr J Unsworth, Dr J Birchall, Ms N Hamilton and Ms T Fleming - North Bristol NHS Trust

Funding: Bristol PCT, Somerset PCT

BRIG-H Partners:

Increasing live donor kidney transplantation

Bristol is pioneering new techniques that enable previously incompatible kidneys to be successfully transplanted into patients.

Traditionally potential living kidney donors had to have a compatible blood group and/or tissue type (HLA) in order to donate kidneys.

Up to 1 in 3 potential living kidney donors cannot donate because of blood group or HLA incompatibility. Incompatible kidneys would be rapidly rejected by antibodies in the recipient’s blood stream. Recipients have to spend years on dialysis waiting for a compatible kidney.

We are pioneering new techniques that:

● Successfully and safely remove antibodies from recipient’s bodies● Switch off the recipient’s ability to make these antibodies● Reliably measure the level of antibodies in their body● Allow incompatible kidneys to be transplanted

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North Bristol NHS Trust NHS Bristol

The Office for National Statistics identified that over 90% of prisoners had one or more of five psychiatric disorders (psychosis, neurosis, personality disorder, hazardous drinking and drug dependence).

This information is over 10 years old but recent studies indicate that prevalence of mental health disorders remains high and indicate that there are now more people with mental health problems in prison than ever before.

An innovative service established by AWP Criminal Justice Liaison Service (CJLS) in partnership with Her Majesty’s Court Service (HMCS) provide specialist mental health support to Magistrates’ and Crown Courts.

Criminal Justice Liaison Service

● Places clinicians in Magistrates’ and Crown Courts● Screen individuals in custody and take referrals from criminal justice agencies● Undertake rapid assessment of offenders and provide same day reports ● Expedites psychiatric reports when required

Benefits:

● Early identification of mental health disorders amongst defendants

● Appropriate sentencing● Reduced stress to defendants with mental health

disorders ● Rapid reporting streamlines court processes● Reduced criminal justice costs● Safer mental health pathways for those in contact

with the criminal justice system and the wider community

Impact:

● 55% reduction in the number of psychiatric reports requested and funded through HMCS

● The amount of time courts and defendants wait for mental health advice was reduced from 54 to 15 days

● Increased number of Community Orders for similar offenders

● Increases identification of defendants with mental health issues.

● Featured in ‘The Bradley Report’ (2009) ‘Prison mental health: vision and reality’ (2010) and ‘Improving Health Supporting Justice’ (2010)

● Model adopted as best practice nationally

Project Leaders: Anita Gukhool, Paula May and Calum Meiklejohn, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS TrustSue Staddon, Offender Health South West

Funding: Medical Research Council

BRIG-H Partners:

Other collaborators: Offender South West

Mental health matters: Court assessment and referral service

People with unstable severe mental illness should not be held in prison but instead receive appropriate healthcare.

1514

The programme

● Uses specific databases related to children receiving cardiac surgery e.g. PICAnet

● Uses the Bayley developmental assessment tool at key stages of development to monitor how each child is progressing

● Will enable the developmental assessment tool to become sustainable by using health care staff

Benefits:

● Early identification of developmental delay● Early intervention to address developmental issues● Maximise the potential of the child

Monitoring children’s development after cardiac surgery

Some children are born with cardiac problems and need to have corrective surgery. It is becoming apparent that these children are experiencing similar developmental problems that are seen with premature babies.

By using a range of UK databases and using rigorous developmental assessments, we will evaluate the extent of these problems in this group of children’s development up to school age.

Project Leaders: Dr Karen Luyt, University of Bristol/University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation TrustDr David Pontin, University of the West of England, Dr Sarah Manns, University of the West of England/University of BristolDr Gale Pearson and Dr Heather Duncan, Birmingham Children’s Hospital

BRIG-H Partners:

Other collaborators: Birmingham Children’s Hospital, PICANet Clinical Advisory Group.

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© Crown Copyright 2005

With the reduction in numbers and change in the role of health visitors, parents need confidence in their own abilities to care for their premature babies at home. By introducing a system of early discharge preparation and integrated healthcare in neonatal units, the length of stay in hospitals may be reduced and we anticipate there will also be a reduced use of other health services.

The project

● Translates research from McMasters University in Canada to the UK Health system

● Uses a simple graphic tool, in conjunction with good practice care pathways, as a prompt for nurses, doctors and other health care staff to correlate their work

● Uses a family based model that focuses on increasing maternal confidence in their skills to care for their babies

Benefits

● Reduction in the length of stay of premature babies in neonatal units

● Reduction in babies’ unnecessary hospital visits and attendance at emergency departments for issues that may be dealt with safely by mothers

● Increase in a mother’s confidence to manage self limiting problems and illnesses of early childhood.

Project Leaders: Prof. Peter Fleming, Dr Jenny Ingram and Dr Pete Blair University of Bristol/University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust Dr David Pontin and Dr Jane Powell, University of the West of England Dr Sarah Manns, University of the West of England/University of Bristol Dr Claire Rose and Kay Pullen, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust Dr Maggie Redshaw, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Oxford Heather Burden, Regional Neo-natal Network

BRIG-H Partners:

Funding: Charitable funding supported preliminary work to apply for SDO funding

Other collaborators Bristol neo-natal units, Regional neo-natal network, NPEU Oxford

Neonatal discharge train: Supporting families

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North Bristol NHS TrustUniversity Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

Highlights

● High-tech medical facilities and equipment ● Highest number of single en-suite rooms in UK● More intensive care and high-dependency beds

● One of UK’s greenest and energy efficient hospitals ● A positive and calming environment and experience ● Patient and visitor centred arts programme

Project Leaders: Directorate of projects

Funding: Private finance initiatives

BRIG-H Partners:

New hospital at Southmead

A new state-of-the-art £430m hospital will transform healthcare for people in the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

The hospital will serve 500,000 local people and other patients requiring specialist services.

Patients, visitors and health professionals will benefit from the pioneering design of the hospital’s services, buildings, interiors and surroundings. The 800 bed hospital will:

● Provide a world-class patient healthcare service ● Maximise medical outcomes and patient recovery ● Put patients at the centre of way services are run● Improve patient privacy and dignity ● Have more single rooms than any other NHS hospital in the country● Control and reduce the spread of infections

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Opening in 2014

Novel therapeutic peptides to revolutionise the treatment of chronic autoimmune and allergic disorders.

The Discovery

Apitopes (Antigen Processing Independent eipiTOPES) are soluble synthetic peptides that:● Treat underlying cause of autoimmune and allergic diseases● Inhibit the immune system’s harmful attack on the body● Selectively weaken autoimmune responses● Normal attack response to harmful antigens e.g. infections not altered● Not all peptide epitopes can suppress disease they must behave as Apitopes™ to be effective

The Discovery

● Evidence based patented vaccine technology● Targeting autoimmune diseases - multiple sclerosis and Graves’ disease● Pipeline of products in development

Apitope● Spun out from the University of Bristol By Professor David Wraith – founder and Chief

Scientific Officer

● 2007: Runner-up UK Trade & Investment’s BioEntrepreneurial Company of the Year

● 2008: $1 million investment from Fast Forward, founded by the US National MS Society

● 2008: Completed Euro10million financing lead by Veslaius and LRM; incorporated HQ in Belgium

● 2009: licence completed with Merck Serono for 154 million Euros

● 2009: Apitope wins AstraZeneca Business Development Professional of the Year 2008

● Lead product is for Multiple Sclerosis (ATX-MS-1467)

Success and Impact● MS vaccine successfully completed Phase 1 clinical trial● Targets up to 70% of MS patients (with specific genetic profile), and has significant impact

on disability and disease progression in preclinical models of MS

● Allows for early intervention● Has potential to be a major contribution to the

treatment of MS

Project Leaders: Professor David Wraith and Dr Heather Streeter, University of Bristol (Dr Streeter is now Apitope Research Project Leader)

BRIG-H Partners:

University Project Funding: Wellcome Trust, MS Society, Apitope

Apitope Investors: The Richard Daniels Trust, the Wellcome Trust, Sulis Seedcorn Fund (now Wyvern), University of Bristol, LRM, Vesalius Biocapital, Vinnoff and UHasselt, Fast Forward LLC

Other collaborators: Merck Serono

New therapies for autoimmune diseases

Axial T1-weighted brain scan after intravenous injection of Gadolinium.

Because enhancing agents do not normally traverse the blood-brain barrier, enhancement of MS lesions in the presence of Gd is suggestive of acute inflammatory changes that increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier.

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Odoreader is a prototype device which accurately and rapidly identifies disease causing bacteria in diarrhoea.

The Challenge

The bacterium Clostridium difficile is highly infectious and causes a severe debilitating form of diarrhoea. Current tests require several days or are not accurate enough resulting in prolonged illness and hospital outbreaks.

How Odoreader works: Diarrhoea from infected patients has a characteristic smell

● Odoreader captures the diarrhoea’s smell ● Odour chemicals are blown over a sensor ● A neural network processes the data ● A diagnosis can be given within 20 minutes ● Odoreader has ‘read’ the smell and identified the cause

Benefits:

● A robust and reliable device ● Point of care use ● No handling of stools required● Prevention of disease outbreaks ● Reduced healthcare costs● Ideal for developing world use ● Plans to develop for other infections

Odoreader is being developed with the support of the Wellcome Trust and will be ready for launch in 2013.

Project Leaders: Professor Chris Probert, University of Bristol and Professor Norman Ratcliffe, University of the West of England

Funding:

BRIG-H Partners:

Other collaborators: Wellcome Trust

OdoReader - Diagnosing bacterial infections at the bedside

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Phot

o: M

artin

Cha

iney

, UW

E

A programme which trains and supports teenage ‘peer supporters’ has been shown to reduce the uptake of smoking in 12-13 year olds.

Decipher Impact Ltd is a new company set up to develop the market for this evidence based, peer-led programme.

The Programme

● Uses peer influence in a positive way● Trains influential Year 8 pupils (age 12-13) to be ‘peer supporters’ ● Teaches ‘peer supporters’ how to have informal conversations with their peers● Discusses risks of smoking and benefits of being smoke-free● The programme has been evaluated in MRC funded clinical trials

Benefits:

● Promotes new norms of non-smoking behaviour in teenagers

● Reduces smoking uptake in young people● Supports a healthier society leading to

reduced health costs● Supports government health initiatives

Impact one year on:

● Only peer-led smoking prevention programme recommended by NICE for use in schools

● 17 English PCTs and the Welsh Assembly Government using it

● International interest is growing

If implemented throughout the UK it is estimated the programme would prevent 40,000 young people taking up smoking each year.

Project Leaders: Professor Rona Campbell, University of Bristol and Professor Laurence Moore, Cardiff University

Funding: Medical Research Council

BRIG-H Partners:

Other collaborators: Welsh Assembly Government

Peer support programme combats teenage smoking

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The majority of people in secondary mental health services want to find and sustain paid employment but find it difficult to make this step independently. Barriers to employment include stigma, employer understanding of mental health issues and lack of work experience, skills and ongoing support.

To bridge this gap Bristol Vocational Services (BVS, part of AWP) and FareShare South West formed an

innovative partnership to create volunteering and training opportunities for service users.

The Partnership

● FareShare provide a supportive work environment allowing service users to gain confidence, skills and qualifications

● BVS places an experienced vocational advisor on site in the FareShare warehouse one morning per week to work alongside volunteers and provide support to both volunteers and FareShare

● Volunteers are supported to develop employment action plans and gain experience of the application and interview process

Benefits:

● Supports personal recovery ● Develops skills, experience and confidence to re-

enter the work place● Volunteers make important contribution to the

work of FareShare South West● Positive example of Big Society concept

Impact:

● 17 service users placed in volunteering opportunities since 2009

● 4 service users gained qualifications● 3 service users achieved employment following

volunteering at FareShare ● Model to be replicated with other third sector

organisations

Project Leaders: Sarah Fairham and Danny Hill, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS TrustJacqui Reeves, FareShare South West

BRIG-H Partners:

Other collaborators FareShare South West

Promoting recovery: The journey back to work

Mental Health problems affect one in four of us at some time in our lives. As well as being a major cause of distress the cost to society is an estimated £105 billion every year through lost productivity, other avoidable costs as well as the costs of care and support. Supporting individuals back to work is of primary importance for individual recovery but is also beneficial for society.

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An innovative solution to assist patients to sit up after therapy and scanning procedures.

The Challenge

● Patients frequently require assistance to sit up after having scans, therapy or other treatment ● Professionals providing assistance are at risk of back and shoulder strain and injury ● Imaging and radiotherapy equipment is complex and sensitive ● Traditional manual handling equipment is unsuitable

How Safe Sit™ works

● Safe Sit™ is a sock like device which can be slipped over the end of couch or treatment table● Handles sewn on in a ladder formation allow the patient to pull themselves safely into a sitting position ● It is simple, and quick to fit and remove ● Can be used on CT, MRI and PET scanners, trolleys, stretchers, beds, examination couches and even operating tables

Patient and Staff benefits

● Improves patient safety, comfort and security● Minimises potential injury to the assisting

healthcare professional ● Designed to be used by the patient several times

before disposal ● Helps to reduce the spread of infection ● A cost-effective manual handling solution

Product Success Story

● Designed and developed by an oncology nurse at UH Bristol

● University of Bristol Enterprise Competition Finalist 2008

● Patent Granted 2009 ● Further developed, licensed and launched by

Silvalea Ltd 2010● Safe Sit™ is now commercialized and on sale in the

UK and European markets

Project Leaders: Jane Bailey, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

Funding: Above and Beyond – the Charitable Trusts for UH Bristol NHS Foundation Trust- Research Foundation Non Medical Research

BRIG-H Partners:

Other collaborators: Silvalea Ltd

Safe Sit™

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Cardiovascular disease● Cardiovascular disease is the UK’s biggest killer● Accounts for almost half of all deaths● Kills more people each year than all types of cancer combined

The innovative beating heart surgery technique● Developed at the Bristol Heart Institute● Significantly reduces the risk of postoperative morbidity,

time in intensive care and length of hospital stay● Fewer post-surgery complications● As safe as conventional surgery● 25% cost saving per patient treated● Usage of the technique now 15-20% worldwide

Recognised by independent external sources with the following awards:

● ‘Surgical Team of Year’ Award by Hospital Doctor in 2005● ‘Cardiovascular Team of Year-runner up’ Award by Hospital Doctor in 2005● ‘John Parker Gold Medal’ by UK Society of Cardio-thoracic Surgery in 2001

Project Leaders: Professor Gianni Angelini and Professor Raimondo Ascione, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol

BRIG-H Partners:

Safety and advantages of beating heart coronary surgery

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The Skin Analyser has been developed to enable remote realistic and interactive skin visualisations, through use of a vision device that can be used in the community (e.g. in primary healthcare).

How it works:● The Skin Analyser captures 3D and 2D skin textures by using multiple light sources and single camera● It enables interactive analysis of the 3D and 2D skin textures and reconstruction of the skin topography● 3D and 2D skin data can be sent via the Internet to a specialist clinic● In the clinic dermatologists can employ the data in realistic and interactive skin visualisations● The Skin Analyser is calibrated so the skin reconstructions are accurate and repeatable

Patient benefit:

● A new level of realism and interactivity in remote skin visualisation offers great potential for early detection of a range of skin conditions e.g. skin cancer such as melanoma

● The device is quick and easy to use, risk free and non-invasive● Pain free procedure● Can be used in remote locations – offering potential application in

developing countries● Cost effective● Novel imaging technology enables the device to measure skin

features (such as colour and shape/texture) with high accuracy and sensitivity required for tele-dermatology.

The Skin Analyser: 3D and 2D imaging for tele-diagnostics

Project Leaders: Dr Lyndon Smith, Professor Melvyn Smith and Dr Abdul Farooq, University of the West of England

BRIG-H Partners:

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The Solution - Stroke Talk

● New materials developed to help people with stroke and aphasia

● Aims to improve understanding of the investigations, tests, treatments and therapies commonly encountered during a hospital stay after a stroke

● Designed by clinicians as a flexible resource● Uses straightforward language and key words ● Enhanced with illustrations ● Evaluated by patients, carers and healthcare

professionals

Benefits and Impact

● Patients more informed and involved in decision- making for their care● Improved quality of care and overall patient

experience● Sold over 750 copies - Department of Health sent to

all 200 stroke units in England● Selections of Stroke Talk materials have been

translated in Bengali● Stroke Talk Material included in a Stroke Nursing

Book● Has highlighted the need for accessible information

in other areas ● Stroke Talk materials can be applied to other patient

groups - visual impairment, hearing loss, literacy problems, dementia, limited English, learning disabilities etc.

Stroke Talk making communication easier

Stroke Talk is an innovative set of materials that explain commonly encountered issues and interventions in acute stroke care, using straightforward language, key words and illustrations.

The Challenge

● Stroke patients, their carers and other healthcare professionals reported problems with communication about strokes and hospital procedures ● Insufficient information was available ● Information that was available was not being presented in an accessible format for people with aphasia ● Hard to explain complex issues to people with a language impairment – implications for informed consent and decision making

Project Leaders: Sophie Cottrell and Alex Davies, North Bristol NHS Trust

Funding: Speech & Language Therapy Research Fund, “Pat Fund”

BRIG-H Partners:

Other collaborators: Connect

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Benefits

● Patients - have rapid access to specialist advice and a better patient journey

● GPs - are better empowered and supported in managing their patients

● Specialists -gain from improved productivity and the ability to focus their expertise where it is needed

● Commissioners - a scalable solution that reduces costs and provides real-time management overview

● Our NHS - compliant with High Quality Care For All and QIPP agendas

● Financial savings - Over 20% on avoided dermatology outpatient and

follow up appointments - Over 50% on minor surgery procedures and day

cases through shift of activity from secondary care to the community

Impact

● Over 70% of cases GPs were provided with a treatment plan to manage the patient in the community (primary care) rather than in hospital (secondary care)

● Ensured over 200 patients have avoided a hospital visit

● Those who require a hospital appointment successfully prioritised

● VTD now implemented in 18 GP practices in South Bristol Consortium

● Has ensured good practice and facilitated efficient resource allocation

Teledermatology: Rapid dermatological advice for GPs

The NHS in Bristol is using innovative technology which enables the patient to receive quicker and more local access to specialist dermatological advice and treatment.

Conventionally patients with a potential skin condition are referred by GPs to specialist dermatological consultants at their local hospital. Vantage Teledermatology (VTD) is an advanced web-based solution that integrates with existing NHS processes to provide GPs with rapid access to consultant dermatologist advice.

The Challenge

● Reduce the time patients wait to be seen by a consultant dermatologist for diagnosis and begin treatment ● To identify and prioritise urgent cases for rapid referral to appropriate specialists

Vantage Teledermatology - How it works

● Primary care clinicians take photographs of dermatological conditions using high quality digital cameras ● Images stored for reference and/or securely transmitted with a patient’s medical history to a consultant

dermatologist or other specialist ● Consultants can deliver a diagnosis and recommended a treatment plan delivering specialist advice for faster

than existing processes● Allows NHS to optimise primary care and secondary care resources

Commissioning lead: Steve Rea - NHS Bristol Commissioning Manager

GP Locality lead: Dr Barbara Compitus

Design and implementation leads: Jude Carey, NHS Bristol and Dr David De Berker, Consultant Dermatologist, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

BRIG-H Partners:

Funding: Funded through NHS Bristol and the South Bristol GP Consortium

Other collaborators: Vantage Diagnostics, South Bristol Consortium GP Locality

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BristolNorth Bristol NHS Trust

University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

Bristol study finds a computerised device that tracks portion size and how fast people eat and could help fight childhood obesity in the UK.

The UK’s Obesity Challenge

● Obesity in children and adolescents is at epidemic levels ● Major threat to future health of young people● No effective treatment or preventative strategies ● Obesity associated with a rapid rate of food consumption at meals

The New Treatment Study

● Study compared use of the Mandometer® device with standard care

● The Mandometer® was developed at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden

● Technology originally developed for treating anorexia and bulimia● Provides real-time feedback during meal times ● Bristol first to test it as a treatment for obesity● A randomised controlled trial of 106 obese patients aged 9 to 17

How the Mandometer Works

● A portable, digital talking scale connected to a computer● A young person’s plate of food is put on the scale ● As they eat the weight of the plate reduces ● They are asked to rate their level of ‘fullness’ and try to match their scores with the ‘ideal’● Mandometer® training helps the subject to re-learn more normal eating patterns

Findings after 12 months -

The Mandometer® test group ● Lost weight better than standard treatments● Consumed food more slowly and ate smaller

portions● Had significantly lower average body mass index

and body fat score● Levels of ‘good cholesterol’ were also significantly

higher

Benefits to patients● Mandometer® can be an effective treatment for

children with obesity● Benefits last at least 6 months following treatment● Successful when used with an individualized ‘Food

and Training Programme’● As effective as pharmacotherapy treatments

when used in combination with standard life-style modifications

● Useful in other health care settings ● Applications with other patient group

Project Leaders: Professor Julian Hamilton-Shield and Sandra Hollinghurst, University Hospitals Bristol Anna Ford and Linda Hunt, University of Bristol Cecilia Bergh, Per Södersten, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden Matthew A Sabin, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia

BRIG-H Partners:

Other collaborators: Karolinska Institutet- Huddinge, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute- Australia

Treatment for childhood obesity

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© Crown Copyright 2005

Claudia’s Trachea

In 2008 the Bristol team and their European collaborators:

● Saved a patient’s life by growing a healthy windpipe (trachea) from her own stem cells ● Achieved a breakthrough in the use of adult stem cells● Tissue-engineered a trachea from two types of cell and a donated scaffold● Demonstrated that stem cells can offer genuine solutions to serious illnesses ● Paved the way for rejection-free transplant operations

In 2010 this story became part of medical history in a permanent Science Museum exhibition.

Claudia Castillo’s Story

● Claudia’s trachea had become damaged from Tuberculosis, blocking her left bronchus

● Stem cells were harvested from her bone marrow● Epithelial cells were harvested from her upper

airway● A donated trachea was cleaned of all its cells ● Donor cells were replaced with Claudia’s own

stem cells and epithelial cells

● The trachea now with Claudia’s stem cells grew in a bioreactor

● In an operation the new trachea was put in place● Transplant was not rejected● She is now able to breath again normally● The tissue-engineered trachea saved Claudia’s life

Project Leaders: Professor Anthony Hollander, Martin Birchall and Sally Dickinson, University of Bristol Professor Paolo Macchiarini of the Hospital Clinic, Barcelona

BRIG-H Partners:

The World’s first adult stem cell transplant

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Innovative ways of involving the public have been used by Bristol Community Health (BCH) to understand patient experiences of our services and facilities and make changes which benefit all.

The Challenge

● There is very little information on patient experience of community services ● Involving patients and the public in shaping health services is a statutory requirement● Also in line with our core principles● For community services, obtaining constructive feedback from patients is a

particular challenge● Need new ways to obtain accurate information and involve the public ● Majority of our patients are elderly, very vulnerable and grateful for the service they receive ● BCH sought ways to better understand patient and public experience to inform: ● Design of District Nursing Services ● Development of the new South Bristol Community Hospital (SBCM)

An Innovative approach

● Conventionally methods such as questionnaires are used to obtain information on patient experience of services and inform development

● We used new collaborative approaches ● Photographs were used to prompt staff and patients

to identify areas of nursing service improvement ● Early involvement of the public in a systematic,

planned way in planning the South Bristol Community Hospital

Benefits and Impact● Helped to identify and address areas in the District

Nursing Service that needed looking at ● Resulted in improvements to the District Nursing

Service

● Ensured design of hospital services are fit for purpose and meet patients needs

● United a variety of geographical areas and interest groups into supporting the hospital

● Ensured public ownership of a community hospital in an area of high deprivation

● Public support was critical in ensuring the SBCH scheme was approved

● Patients better understand what they can expect from services

● Increased our knowledge base about patient experience

● Ongoing collaborative work with University of Bristol and University of West of England

Project Leaders: Carol Clifford, Hildegard Dumper, Bristol Community Health

BRIG-H Partners:

Understanding patient experience

The South Bristol Community Hospital opens in Spring 2012.

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© Crown Copyright 2005

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Bristol Research and Innovation Group for Health (BRIG-H)

The Bristol Research and Innovation Group for Health (BRIG-H) is a vibrant and ambitious Bristol-wide strategic research and innovation partnership. It is dedicated to fostering excellence in people and infrastructure to realise the full potential of research and innovation to benefit patient health.

The partners in BRIG-H are the University of Bristol, the University of the West of England, the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, North Bristol NHS Trust, NHS Bristol and the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. We are working to facilitate collaboration, remove barriers and create new opportunities for research, innovation and career development.

Bristol’s health research and innovation strengths are derived from successful collaborations and strong working partnerships forged within the city, regionally, nationally and internationally. The foundation for this is the strategic BRIG-H partnership.

Bristol’s internationally recognised research strengths are:

● Population health; especially epidemiology, primary care and public health● Neuroscience● Immunology, immunity, infection and injury ● Cardiovascular

These strengths form the backbone of a research community focused on addressing four major health challenges:

● Staying healthy ● Health inequalities ● Ageing and well being ● Stratified medicine

To deliver solutions to these health challenges Bristol has invested strategically: building capacity and quality in complementary and synergistic research areas; providing new state-of the art research-enabling facilities; forging major new cross-disciplinary collaborations; and creating a more integrated, streamlined and responsive health research community.

The Universities and NHS Trusts in Bristol all play a central role in innovation, enterprise and knowledge exchange in the city. Bristol has been highly successful in translating health research into patient benefit and is seen as a beacon of good practice and a leader of innovation in the region and beyond. The health, economic and social benefits of this activity are undisputed. One of the aims of the BRIG-H partnership is to ensure that innovation is facilitated and supported, that it develops further and that the environment for it flourishes.

For more information about BRIG-H see http://www.bris.ac.uk/fmd/brigh/ or contact brigh-showcase@bristol.ac.uk

IBSTIn association with: Bristol City Council, NHS North Somerset and NHS South Gloucestershire

With support from:

A consortium of partners: