Accelerating innovation in digital health with Life Sciences Hub Wales

Life Sciences Hub Wales is here to catalyse innovation and collaboration between industry, health, social care, and academia – making a positive difference to people, families, and businesses across the nation.

As an exhibitor for the upcoming Healthcare Excellence Through Technology (HETT) conference in September, we caught up with Delyth James, Programme Lead at Life Sciences Hub Wales to discuss collaboration, overcoming pressures in digital health, and support available for the sector.

Delyth James: Life Sciences Hub Wales is an arm’s length body of Welsh Government that brings together industry, health, social care, users of digital health technologies, and academia. We work closely with health and social care colleagues across Wales to understand the challenges and pressures an organisation may face. Once identified, we work with the industry to source and support the development of innovative solutions to respond to these challenges. Our support services for health and social care include project management for the evaluation and adoption of innovation, knowledge sharing, encouraging engagement with industry, and partnership support. Our aim is to create an environment of digital innovation across Welsh health and social care delivery.

HETT: With your experience, what are some of the biggest challenges that you have identified when working closely with your NHS/Care partners?

Delyth James: We understand that innovation can be difficult due to fragmented services, complex processes, and limited resources. Some of our biggest challenges include:

• Ensuring the right people are involved at the right time when introducing new innovations into health and social care.
• Ensuring people have the right equipment/connectivity and skills available to use new innovative tools.
• Understanding and aligning local and national priorities.

HETT: Pertinant points! Tell us how working with your products and solutions can help tackle some of the challenges that exist within digital health.

Delyth James: Life Sciences Hub Wales’ ability to connect and convene is at the core of our activity through our well-established, cross-sector network across Wales and beyond. This provides an ideal platform to support health and social care whilst encouraging joint working.

We also act as a useful resource for health and social care, offering project management, funding advice/ information, and events support. Our team also promotes awareness of opportunities from key developments in health and social care such as the National Data Resource (NDR) programme, Digital Services for Patients and the Public (DSPP) including the NHS App, and Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio (DMTP).

HETT: We will be hosting HETT Connect again this year, enabling speakers to meet with exhibitors on a 1:1 basis. Who are you hoping to meet?

Delyth James: We are looking forward to meeting and talking with clinicians in health and social care to hear about their challenges and priorities and also engaging with the industry to learn more about the solutions they can offer us in Wales.

HETT: As HETT Show approaches (27-28 Sept @ExCeL London), tell us what you are looking forward to the most at HETT Show 2022.

Delyth James: We can’t wait to learn more about the latest health and social care innovations and improvements. We also want to share some of the best practices that we have in Wales to enable people to benefit from the great work that is happening in our country.

HETT: Thank you for your time today. It’s been a pleasure learning more about how Life Sciences Hub Wales contributes to the evolution of the healthcare sector. We look forward to seeing you at HETT Show (27th & 28th September, ExCeL London)!