Blogs

Myself and my colleague, Reena Devi, are flying out to São Paulo, Brazil for a workshop: "Qualitative study design in healthcare-associated infection research" that is taking place betwween February 9 and 13 2015, coordinated by Maria Clara Padoveze, School of Nursing, University of São Paulo (Brazil), and Stephen Timmons - Centre for Health Innovation, Leadership and Learning, University of Nottingham (UK).

This workshop is fully funded by British Council Research Links and by FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) and relates to, two of our workstreams: Translating Research into Practice, and our Patient Safety Collaborative. It has provided financial support to gather a group from the United Kingdom and a group of researchers from the partner country, Brazil, whose members are at the beginning of their career.  Why are we there? Well, we're in Brazil because because Reena and I are both early year researchers.

The workshop will provide us with a unique opportunity for sharing research expertise and networking, with a focus on building up links for future collaborations and participants selected on the basis of their research potential and ability to build longer term links.

On Wednesday night I had the pleasure of hosting the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network's inaugural Innovation in Healthcare awards.

We received almost 100 award entries across the six categories, and the shortlist highlights the truly astonishing range of innovations that are improving services and saving lives throughout the East Midlands.

The find out more and see the shortlisted and winning entries, following this link.

Innovation is central to the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network: we were established to identify great ideas and spread them throughout our region and beyond - making sure that if something works well it is made available to everyone, irrespective of where they live in the East Midlands.

I was at the national launch of the 15 Patient Safety Collaboratives on Tuesday 14th - a London hotel ballroom rammed full of people waiting to hear from some experts on patient safety and share their ideas with each other. It started well with a panel of experts by experience and the acknowledgement that speaking out as a patient takes courage and often leads to labelling the patient as "difficult" and even leads to staff avoiding that person. Later on in one of the concurrent sessions I heard some more important messages on whether we really DO place the patient at the centre or is it much more about " .... patient safety until we need the bed " - a fair weather commitment to patient safety?

In a previous blog I mentioned the health and social impacts of alcohol on our region, and highlighted our work to progress early detection of liver disease. This is just one of the programmes EMAHSN will be supporting over the year ahead; other priorities include diabetes, supporting frail older people, stroke rehabilitation, tackling Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and building patient and public engagement in decisions about healthcare services.

I attended the All-Party Parliamentary Health Group meeting recently. The subject – Public Health England: Improving the Nation's Health" featured some great presentations from colleagues from Public Health England, Jane Ellison MP Minister of State for Public Health and Cllr Jonathan McShane Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Culture London Borough of Hackney.

Martin Hindle, Independent Chair, EMAHSN

As this is my first blog for EMAHSN, I thought I should start by telling you a little bit about my background and how I have come to be in the fortunate position of Chair for this innovative organisation.

It was an absolute privilege this week to meet and speak with third year and post graduate physiotherapy students at Nottingham City Hospital. What an amazing bunch – enthusiastic, upbeat, committed to a career in the NHS and totally up for the challenges that lie ahead.

I was delighted to be able to join a recent fact finding visit by 20 NHS leaders to Brussels. I seldom put myself forward for such opportunities, but I know this was an area that was, frankly in my "don't really understand it - too difficult" pile so I decided it would be good for me to grasp the nettle!