Category Archives: Healthcare

Healthcare, Healthcare Tech, IoT, News

IoT Drives Rapid Growth in UK Digital Healthcare

Written by Nick Earle, CEO, Eseye 

The NHS is suffering with a huge backlog of elective procedures due to the pandemic. This means that the share of individuals who are satisfied with the quality of NHS care has fallen to around 71%, and only 53% are satisfied with how the healthcare service runs today.

The good news is that the Government is focused on investing more in our healthcare services and healthcare technology in particular is being prioritised. The Spending Review 2021 announced a substantial increase in health spending, with day-to-day spend in 2024/25 expected to be 13% higher in real terms than in 2021/22. In fact, by 2024/25, day-to-day spending on health will be 39% of total day-to-day spending on public services, up from 29% in 2009/10.

 

IoT is enabling healthcare professionals to be more proactive 

From a technology perspective, IoT is enabling better healthcare solutions and services. Today, IoT enables healthcare professionals to be more watchful and connect with patients proactively. Data collected from wearable IoT devices can help physicians identify the best treatment process for patients and achieve better outcomes. In hospitals, IoT devices tagged with sensors are used for tracking the real-time location of medical equipment like wheelchairs, defibrillators, nebulisers, oxygen pumps and other monitoring equipment.

With hospital visits limited, remote patient monitoring (RPM) and telecare services increased during the pandemic and, rather than revert to in-person appointments for monitoring or support, the use of RPM and telecare is expected to continue on that trajectory. The goal of most healthcare providers is to have connected healthcare in every home that needs it, which is more than most of us realise. For example, one in three people worldwide suffer from hypertension, a condition that requires accurate daily monitoring to prevent serious illness.

 

Conventional monitoring is resource intensive and costly

Conventional long-term monitoring can put a significant burden on healthcare providers and be restrictive and inconvenient for patients, which is why RPM and telecare are the way forward. They enable patients to be monitored and support delivered, even in hard-to-reach locations, delivering data back to medical teams to review and act on where necessary.

However, the success of these solutions depends heavily on device connectivity, accuracy, and ease of use for the target market, which is typically older people who may have lower confidence with technology. This means that healthcare providers must remove patient barriers by making healthcare technology easier to use, so that patients can just turn on a device and take a reading without having to worry about faulty Bluetooth connections.

This is important because – to truly revolutionise the patient experience – doctors need daily readings of blood pressure, blood glucose, pulse oximetry, weight, and temperature levels so they can quickly identify a change and send out a nurse, call a patient in, or alter medical care plans if and where necessary.

 

Ensuring patient trust

However, patients must also trust the device they are using, and trust is eroded if it frequently fails to connect and transmit accurate readings. This affects adoption and means patients and providers fall back on less convenient alternatives. Many remote patient monitoring companies use Bluetooth to provide device connectivity but find it doesn’t offer the reliability needed. From our conversations, this is a common issue, with many identifying cellular connectivity as the best option to provide the necessary coverage and connection reliability.

 

Digital switchover in 2025

Another healthcare trend that is driving cellular connectivity in telecare is the switch from analogue alarm systems to digital. A social telecare alarm device, installed in an individual’s home, makes it possible for individuals to call for assistance. These calls are answered by an operator in an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) who supports the individual to resolve the issue over the phone or they call for additional on-site assistance. Traditional analogue social alarm equipment relies on sending and receiving audible tones to communicate with the ARC enabling them to understand the type of alarm received and prioritise accordingly.

These social alarms have been in operation for around 50 years and have relied on analogue landlines for connectivity. Today, around 1.7 million older and vulnerable people in the UK rely on these systems. However, new legislation means that social healthcare commissioners must move quickly to adopt new digital systems as the analogue network will be switched off by 2025.

However, many have incorrectly interpreted this as a target date to be ready for the transition, when in reality it is the date of the final switchover of all existing analogue network infrastructure to digital. In fact, telephone exchanges began to transition in December 2020 and the pressure to switch to digital will only increase as a result.

This means many telecare systems will need to be upgraded or decommissioned to maintain services to users. Organisations must no longer procure social alarms that can only establish connections to analogue communications, they must procure hybrid alarms that communicate in both analogue and digital protocols through cellular connectivity.

 

Improved support performance and customer experience

Cellular connectivity is a superior connectivity solution compared to Wi-Fi because it offers network redundancy. If one network is down, a SIM can switch to another so there is no loss in connectivity. From a user perspective it is incredibly simple: the telecare solution has a SIM embedded that connects and works straight out of the box, as opposed to Wi-Fi, which requires passwords and more.

In summary, global healthcare spending could reach over $10 trillion by 2022. RPM and telecare are key growth areas but have historically witnessed issues with accuracy in the field. Now, enabled by the latest innovations in cellular IoT connectivity, these solutions will help pave the way for better, more reliable future healthcare provision.

 

Construction, Construction News, Health, Healthcare, Healthcare News, News, South East

Morgan Sindall Construction completes hat-trick of hospital refurbishment in Norfolk

Morgan Sindall Construction has completed a new refurbishment scheme at the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust following the successful delivery of two previous upgrade projects, signalling its total commitment to working with them long term.  

The Great Yarmouth-based hospital now benefits from refurbishment work to Ophthalmic Theatre 8, the latest in a series of three upgrades at the site totalling £3.8m.  

The Morgan Sindall Construction Eastern Counties business had previously formed a strong partnership with the NHS Foundation Trust throughout two previous projects during the pandemic. The 872 sq. ft. refurbished operating theatre includes a separate prep and scrub room. 

Relying on its strong partnership with the hospital, Morgan Sindall Construction have ensured that the construction activity has not impacted the vital work of the live hospital site.   

Taking into account key considerations, such as the worksite being located in the middle of an active hospital where there are no out-of-office hours and that intricate surgery can take place just metres away, has been an important aspect of the project’s design and build.  

As part of the refurbishment, the pre-existing theatre was demolished, converted and refitted. In order to not disrupt the flow of the hospital, Morgan Sindall Construction built and utilised an external entry point. 

Alister Broadberry, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Eastern Counties, said: “This is now the third project we have completed on behalf of James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and it has been a privilege to build upon our previous partnership formed with the hospital.  

“Through this long-standing project we have formed a close relationship with the team and key stakeholders at the hospital. This, in addition to our experience constructing in delicate surroundings, has been beneficial for the whole project team when delivering the intricate refitting work required for the project. 

“It is not only the refurbished hospital theatre that the community will now benefit from, as Morgan Sindall Construction’s commitment to using local contractors and employing local people has generated additional value for the Great Yarmouth area.” 

Richard Varvel, Estates Capital Programme Manager at the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Located above and adjacent to the ‘live’ clinical areas, refurbishment work to create a new Ophthalmic Theatre has been particularly challenging.  

“Working closely with hospital staff, Morgan Sindall Construction managed the work with minimal disruption to patients, keeping to a tight project programme and within budget. Feedback from staff using the new Theatre has been great, allowing the hospital to increase surgical capacity for cataract operations and other eye surgery going forward.” 

Events, Healthcare, News

Former Health Secretary Joins Impressive Line-Up Of Speakers At The Hsj Patient Safety Congress, Next Month

As reported in the HSJ (29.07.22), organisers of the HSJ Patient Safety Congress are pleased to confirm that three of the UK’s most influential figures in the field will be speaking at the event – which is taking place on 15-16 September in Manchester Central.

The Congress is the only event of its kind which brings together stakeholders from across the health and care spectrum to debate the most critical patient safety issues, sharing practical solutions to enable progress, in line with the national Patient Safety Strategy.

The 2-day annual meeting provides a welcome opportunity to demonstrate best practice, innovation and renewed efforts to drive forward the nationwide commitment of putting safety and quality at the heart of patient care. Around 1,000 delegates from across the sector are expected to attend.

The Congress also coincides with the much-anticipated appointment of the first Patient Safety Commissioner for England (September 2022), as well as over 700 new Patient Safety Specialist roles across the country.

As part of the line-up of key speakers, Commons Health & Social Care committee Chair Jeremy Hunt, former Secretary of State turned patient safety campaigner, will share his views on how reducing avoidable deaths can be done while saving money, reducing backlogs and improving working conditions.

National Director of Patient Safety Dr Aidan Fowler will provide a long-awaited update on the NHS Patient Safety Strategy three years after its launch, looking at progress and new priorities through the pandemic period.

And, Dr Henrietta Hughes OBE, newly appointed as the first Patient Safety Commissioner will reveal her immediate priorities for the new role.

Speaking to the HSJ earlier this month, Dr Hughes, commented; “I was really keen….to see what we could do to actually put the patient voice at the absolute heart of how we make decisions in healthcare, how we design healthcare, but also how we listen to people when things go wrong”.

Others due to speak include former Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Ted Baker; NHSE Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for Improvement, Professor Charlotte McArdle; and Health Foundation Chief Executive, Jennifer Dixon.

The programme includes: pioneering case studies; platforms to exchange ideas with peers to find ways to best support staff welfare, including the implications and impact of long-covid on patient safety; exploring the opportunities of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs); updates and insights from the Patient Safety Commissioner as well as first-hand reflections from Patient Safety Specialists.

And, new for 2022, delegates will also be able to join sessions looking at specific safety concerns in high priority service areas such as women’s healthcare, digital health and care & safety in non-acute settings – as well as ‘hands on’ demonstrations such as CPR training in the exhibition hall.

Shaun Lintern, Sunday Times Health Editor, who will once again be chairing the event comments; “We have to be realistic that the NHS has faced some huge challenges over the last two years and, therefore, a real aim of the Congress is to present a programme which brings together speakers and experts from right across the health system – as well external contributors – who will look at some of the ‘big issues’, engaging with our audience and suggesting positive ways forward.

“Everybody has a role in patient safety – whatever their position or level within their organisation – and this Congress really is for everybody.”

Visit https://patientsafetycongress.co.uk/programme-2022 for more information about the 120+ speakers and 40+ sessions across 10 streams in the programme, and click here to sign up to attend.

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ABOUT HSJ

Health Services Journal is the only title to cover all aspects of publicly funded healthcare, providing news, analysis, best practise information from some of the most powerful and respected figures in health. The HSJ audience is formed of healthcare leaders from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds and both public and private sectors.

HSJ is published by Wilmington PLC, a company dedicated to providing information and training to professional business markets. Their publications across the Health, Risk and Compliance, Finance, Legal and Insight sectors are united by one common aim- to turn knowledge into advantage. Wilmington PLC enables professionals to enhance performance and innovation by providing high quality, relevant and reliable information, education and knowledge.

 

 

 

 

Cybersecurity, Health Tech, Healthcare, Healthcare Tech

PureCyber Responds to NHS Ransomware Incident

Cyber security consultancy PureCyber is urging organisations to invest in invaluable measures to protect against cybercrime, before it is too late.

The recent cyber-attack on major NHS IT provider Advanced, in Birmingham, is just the latest ransomware incident to highlight how hackers take control of IT systems, steal data and demand a payment from victims to recover.

The NHS insists that disruption is minimal, but Advanced, which provides digital services like patient check-in and NHS 111, would not confirm whether NHS data had been stolen and continues to restore services, which may take three to four weeks to fully recover.

 

Damon Rands, CEO and Founder of PureCyber, which is based in Cardiff’s Central Square and protects a portfolio of global clients, said: “This recent NHS ransomware attack unfortunately demonstrates that no matter how serious your organisation takes cyber security, you can always be a victim of cybercrime if one of your key critical outsourced services is managed by another organisation.

“Identifying and implementing the correct steps and levels of cyber protection for your organisation is vital, but just as vital is ensuring that your supply chain has the appropriate layers of cyber security in place so that they’re not the weakest link offering a potential attack vector to cyber criminals.”

 

Planning and structure are critical within any cyber strategy, according to Damon Rands, in order to minimise disruption time. PureCyber’s professionals offer a suite of bespoke packages to help create a nation of cyber savvy SMEs, confident in their cyber security capabilities and resilience.

 

He says: “One of the most important points to raise in this situation is that although, of course, prevention of attack is better than cure; having solid governance, policies and scenario planning for cyber incidents is paramount to reduce the negative impact and downtime of an attack.

“Critically, you never want to be in a position of being surprised by a cyber security event, such as a hack, ransomware or the loss of a critical application. The best way to do that is to prepare for the worse that could happen. If you did lose access to a major piece of software, critical application or to data that is essential to your business continuity, what contingency plans do you have to maintain a certain level of service? It’s absolutely key and so important when it comes to cyber security and management of risk.”

Health Tech, Healthcare, News

SOTI Research Shows the Digitisation of Healthcare Accelerates as Device Downtime and Security Concerns Remain

97% of UK healthcare providers offering frontline patient services have now implemented IoT/telehealth medical device capabilities

As the pandemic disrupted traditional patient service models, the healthcare sector overwhelmingly adopted remote and telehealth technology solutions. New global research from SOTI, A Critical Investment: Taking the Pulse of Technology in Healthcare, shows nearly all UK healthcare providers (97%) offering frontline services have implemented IoT/telehealth medical device capabilities

The increased adoption of new technologies in the healthcare sector is evident in 77% of IT healthcare professionals indicating they have increased their annual technology.

The rise in healthcare IT investments appears to be focused on three key elements: interconnectivity, automation and data management. Research revealed that 79% of IT healthcare professionals agree patient services benefit from heightened interconnectivity, 71% agree the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in patient care enables medical staff to treat more patients and 93% stated digital patient recordkeeping increases efficiency and enhances data sharing.

“Following the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile and IoT devices have become vital for healthcare organisations, allowing them to quickly adapt to changing circumstances, alter patient care methods and improve health outcomes. Almost all UK healthcare providers (97%) offering frontline services have now invested in IoT/telehealth medical device capabilities,” said Stefan Spendrup, VP of Sales, Northern and Western Europe at SOTI.

“UK healthcare organisations are scaling up device implementation in the medical industry, which demonstrates an increased digital focus in the UK. Increased digitalisation in the healthcare sector allows professionals to improve patient care and outcomes with remote health monitoring and digital recordkeeping. Today 70% of UK healthcare providers have already implemented remote health monitoring, with a further 51% of UK clinics providing frontline patient services with 100% digital recordkeeping,” said Spendrup.

As part of its report, SOTI surveyed 1,300 healthcare IT professionals across the UK, U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, France and Australia to understand how their organisations pivoted to provide patient care throughout the pandemic, the role technology played in delivering positive patient outcomes and what major obstacles remain.

Data Security An Ongoing Concern

Nearly 9 in 10 (88% in the UK) of IT healthcare professionals are worried about patient information being revealed, lost, accessed, stolen or inadequately backed up. These are justified concerns as 45% (70% globally) of organisations have experienced a data breach since 2020. Healthcare IT professionals are primarily focused on the following data security concerns:

  • Patient records being stolen in a cyberattack or hacking (37%)
  • Patient information being revealed without patient consent (39%)
  • Patient information being lost (36%)

In addition, 60% of IT professionals believe patient data security is more at risk than ever, while 53% agree their organisation does not spend enough money on data security.

“The risk of security breaches is a constant threat for IT leaders. While this is not hindering innovation and digitisation within the healthcare sector, this may impact an organisation’s confidence in the digital technologies and devices being installed. Healthcare providers must ensure the technologies deployed in their organisation are equipped with an effective Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM). These solutions will provide increased visibility, security and management of mobile technologies used to offer patient care. This allows IT professionals to remotely manage any mobile device or IoT endpoint, and enable them to shut the device down if there is a security breach,” said Spendrup.

Addressing Device Downtime

A move towards digitisation and eliminating outdated manual and paper processes allows healthcare providers to focus on patients and reduce the burden of administrative tasks that distract from caregiving responsibilities. However, when technologies are not properly implemented or maintained, costly downtime can hinder a healthcare workers’ ability to provide critical care. 

Fifty-nine per cent of IT healthcare professionals said their organisation experiences downtime with IoT/telehealth medical devices, leading to patient care delays. Overall, more than 9 in 10 (95%) of IT healthcare professionals have experienced an issue of some kind, with 64% citing systems not integrating effectively and 52% stating frequent technical issues. All of this leads to each healthcare employee losing approximately 3.5 hours per week on average. To put it another way, on average, 21 working days are lost per employee annually.

“Increased digitalisation in the healthcare industry, like streamlining healthcare processes and patient care services, while making data more secure and easily accessible is making employees’ lives easier. However, 59% of UK IT healthcare professionals experience downtime with IoT/telehealth medical devices. IT leaders must ensure their mobile technologies have an advanced diagnostic intelligence solution in place to highlight device performance, provide remote support, improve the level of day-to-day operations and avoid patient care delays,” concluded Spendrup.

A Critical Investment: Taking the Pulse of Technology in Healthcare can be downloaded here.

Report Methodology

Using an online methodology, SOTI conducted 1,300 interviews with IT professionals in organizations providing frontline patient-facing healthcare services with 50+ employees across eight countries. All participants are aged 18 and over. Fieldwork was conducted from June 7 to 14, 2022. The interviews are split across eight markets as follows: U.S. (200 interviews), Canada (150 interviews), Mexico (150 interviews), UK (200 interviews), Germany (150 interviews), Sweden (150 interviews), France (150 interviews) and Australia (150 interviews).

 

Healthcare, News

Opportunities for specialist cancer nurses at hospital trust in Kent – Recruitment evening at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust on 17th August

A leading hospital trust in Kent, which has the fourth largest cancer service in the county, is recruiting Band 5 oncology nurses, and running a recruitment evening on Wednesday 17th August for registered nurses to learn about the roles available and see the first class facilities at the Trust.

The Kent Oncology Centre is part of Maidstone and Tunbridge NHS Trust (MTW) and provides oncology services to Kent, Medway and East Sussex.  Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak visited the centre this year which offers some of the fastest access to treatment in England[i].

MTW is one of the few trusts in the country to have delivered on the two-week cancer standards for almost three years. Recent developments include multi-million-pound investments in improving diagnostic equipment and facilities, recruiting more clinical staff and upskilling nurses who can deliver chemotherapy treatment.

Innovative technology is improving cancer care for patients. This includes a new £2 million Halcyon machine that targets larger tumours more effectively. Only a small number of cancer treatment centres in England are using this new radiotherapy technology which halves treatment times and provides a much more comfortable experience for patients[ii].

MTW is also the only organisation across Kent and Medway taking part in a pilot where patients swallow a tiny camera (colon capsule endoscopy), to check for signs of cancer, providing a diagnosis within hours.

The Trust opened the Oncology Outpatients Suite in May too. This new building has nine new clinic rooms, and patients are seen in a ‘super clinic’ where multi-disciplinary teams work together to provide smooth and quick care[iii].

Nurses interested in developing their career in oncology are invited to attend the recruitment evening to find out about vacancies in cancer care, and speak to nurses about becoming a chemotherapy nurse. They will also be able to speak to the professional standards team about the training and support available in the role.

To attend, Band 5 registered nurses must apply here by 16th August. Nurses don’t need to have previous cancer care experience but do need to have a passion for working with cancer patients. There will be an opportunity to be interviewed on the day. The Trust is also recruiting a junior sister/charge nurse in cancer services. To apply for this role, click here.

The recruitment evening takes place in the Oncology Reception at Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, ME16 9QQ 17th August from 5pm until 8pm. For more information, click here.

MTW is a large acute hospital trust in Kent. It provides a full range of general services and some areas of complex care to around 760,000 people in the south part of West Kent and the north part of East Sussex.

MTW recently launched a major recruitment drive focused on clinical roles. This comes at an exciting time as the trust has invested in new facilities, service developments, training centres and digital transformations. To find out more about career opportunities, go to: Home – Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (mtwcareers.com)

 

About Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

MTW is one of the best performing hospital trusts for cancer performance[iv], and the Trust’s Emergency Department was named the South East Regional Winner in The Excellence in Urgent and Emergency Care Award category of the NHS Parliamentary Awards 2020[v]. It is a large acute hospital trust that provides a full range of general hospital services and some areas of specialist complex care to around 760,000 people living in the south part of west Kent and the north part of East Sussex. It is also the cancer services provider for Kent and Medway for around 1.9 million people.

The Trust has two main clinical sites: Maidstone Hospital and Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury and employs over 6,700 staff.

MTW is committed to employee wellbeing and offers staff a range of benefits including health and wellbeing checks, a range of counselling services, a cycle work scheme, as well as free food and transport shuttles between sites and from stations. It has a progressive flexible working policy, which enables staff to meet changing priorities throughout their careers. MTW rewards staff with employee and team of the month awards, as well as an annual gala awards ceremony that recognises staff who have gone the extra mile.

Charity & CSR, Healthcare, News

The Whitchurch Clinic Supports Whitchurch Heath Cricket Club

The Whitchurch Clinic is supporting Whitchurch Heath Cricket Club for its 2022 season as a lead sponsor and partner.

The Merthyr Road clinic, which provides a range of therapies such as chiropractic care, physiotherapy, acupuncture, sports massage, and hypnotherapy, is helping the club with financial support, as well as offering discounted treatments for members.

Whitchurch Heath has four Senior league sides and a thriving youth section that runs teams at ages under nine, 11, 13 and 15. They are dedicated to playing competitive cricket in a welcoming, inclusive and social atmosphere in the north Cardiff suburb.

Peter Byron, Whitchurch Heath Chair, said: “We’re so grateful for the support of The Whitchurch Clinic this season. After a tough two years due to the pandemic, it’s great to see our local club thriving and the players back doing what they love, and that’s thanks to the support of local businesses such as The Whitchurch Clinic.”

Andrea Howell, principal chiropractor and clinic director at The Whitchurch Clinic, said: “We’re very excited to develop our relationship with Whitchurch Heath, and help support them as they settle back into normality. We are committed to supporting community causes and we’re looking forward to watching the teams in action.”

Whitchurch Heath Cricket Club is always interested in connecting with businesses that share its values and can help it deliver on its five-year plan for the future of the club. Find out more at https://whitchurch-heath.play-cricket.com/home.

 

Charity & CSR, Healthcare, News

Cancer Research Horizons renews partnership with Edinburgh University entrepreneur incubator programme

Cancer Research Horizons, the innovation engine of Cancer Research UK, the world’s largest independent cancer research organisation is renewing its partnership with the University of Edinburgh’s flagship Venture Builder Incubator which supports the commercialisation of data-driven PhD research.

Cancer Research Horizons, through its Entrepreneurial Programmes, will sponsor ten places for cancer-related research projects from across the UK to take part on this 16-week programme which aims to drive academic entrepreneurship by supporting PhD students and early career researchers to develop their business ideas, build their skills and secure funding.

In 2021, the first year of the Cancer Research Horizons collaboration, eight companies operating in the field of cancer were selected as start-ups for the incubator.

For the second year running, Cancer Research Horizons’ continued support for PhD students and researchers will play an important role in accelerating the commercialisation of ideas aimed at conquering cancer.

Laura Bernal, Venture Builder Incubator Programme Manager, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Cancer Research Horizons again this year. Our Incubator programme is designed to help fledgling entrepreneurs across all sectors of business build their skills and take their businesses to the next level and through continuing to build our relationship with the brilliant team at Cancer Research Horizons, we can ensure that we are supporting the commercialisation of vital research across 10 cancer-related projects this year.”

The Venture Builder Incubator, delivered by the Bayes Centre, the University of Edinburgh’s world-leading innovation hub for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, on behalf of the University’s five Data-Driven Innovation Hubs and Edinburgh Innovations, the commercialisation service of the University, will start later this year and builds on the success of the previous cohorts which have seen considerable success, attracting £1.8m in funding in the last 12 months.

Previous oncology-related ventures focused on developing early diagnosis tools and less invasive testing to enable improved outcomes for people affected by cancer. They included: OncoAssign, a precision medicine startup integrating AI and onco-diagnostics to deliver accurate treatment prediction; 10zyme, a start-up devising a simple method of detecting cancers through urine or saliva samples; ForceBiology, developers of a versatile, more accurate and cost-effective high throughput drug-screening platform for cancer and Therapevo, a screening platform striving to fill the gap between research and the medical testing of new therapeutic strategies.

Commenting on her experience as a participant in last year’s cohort, Estefania Esposito, Co-founder of Therapevo, said: “Being introduced to a network of Venture Builder cohorts past and present was invaluable. They all had different backgrounds, and even when they had similar backgrounds, they all added something: an experience, an idea or an opinion.”

Dr Alessia Errico, Associate Director of Search and Evaluation, and Entrepreneurial Programmes Lead at Cancer Research Horizon said: “We want to inspire the next generation of scientific entrepreneurs in the field of cancer research as well as inspiring cultural change within the industry, so working alongside Edinburgh University and theirData Driven Innovation programme provides us with the perfect platform to do this.

“Supporting entrepreneurs on the journey from an ideation to venture creation is one of the most important things that we can do, so we are excited about what this next year will bring.”

The Venture Builder Incubator is designed to help fledgling entrepreneurs across all sectors build their skills and take their businesses to the next level.  Start-ups are chosen after an application process which is open to PhD students, early career researchers and academic staff from the University of Edinburgh or Heriot-Watt University, as well as early career researchers focused on cancer-related projects from across the UK.

Each startup is provided with £2,000 as well as business support through a series of workshops, networking events, mentoring, peer-to-peer learnings and access to the University of Edinburgh’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and its data expertise.

Applications have now opened for the Venture Builder Incubator 3.0. For more information visit https://edinburghdde.com/dde-programmes/venture-builder-incubator-2 The early bird deadline for applications is Friday 22nd July and those entering before this date are guaranteed application feedback and the chance to resubmit their proposal and an invitation to a Bayes Centre Community Event. The final deadline for applications is Friday 9 September.

Healthcare, News

Haleon’s lacklustre London debut: Flawed business or just bad timing?

Written by Kunal Sawhney, CEO, Kalkine

The consumer healthcare arm of pharma giant GSK Plc, Haleon, made its stock market debut on Monday, becoming the largest listing on the London Stock Exchange in over a decade. The debut also made Haleon the world’s largest independent consumer healthcare firm. However, the new company got a lacklustre start on the market amid concerns over soaring inflation and market turmoil.

Stocks of the Sensodyne toothpaste and Advil painkillers maker opened at GBX 330 on Monday, putting the company’s valuation at around £30 billion. During the day, it touched the high of GBX 337.40 but failed to maintain the gains and eventually closed 6.6% lower.

Demerger of the consumer goods business

GSK had received a £50 billion bid by Unilever before demerging the business, but it went ahead with its demerger plan and rebuffed the offer from Nestle, calling it ‘too low’. Notably, no new shares were issued, and existing GSK shareholders received one share of Haleon for every share of GSK they owned.

With all the hype about the demerger, a valuation of at least £30 billion was expected on a listing day. To match the £50 billion offer that Unilever had put for GSK’s consumer business, a valuation of £39.5 billion would have been required, taking the £10.5 billion of borrowing assumed by Haleon into account. But the company’s initial valuation could only touch £28.5 billion on the first day, more towards the bottom of the reckoned range.

Future of the stock

However, the initial valuation wouldn’t matter much for long-term investors. The stock prices of demerged entities take some time to settle because of the lack of normal liquidity. Investors also find it hard to be able to draw conclusions without several days of trading.

Additionally, with the new listing, GSK has passed on a significant chunk of its debt to the new businesses. This may turn out to be a good decision for the company, as Haleon’s revenues should be relatively stable in the long term in comparison to the now pharmaceuticals and vaccines-only business of GSK. Haleon will have to adapt to the current market scenario.

However, the company will have to prove that it can achieve its target of 4-6% annual growth while reducing debt in the medium term. While 4% is still achievable, considering the fact that the unit has been touching it for a few years, 6% may seem like a tough task right now, amid the global situation.

One thing that goes in Haleon’s favour is its big brand name. The company owns some of the world’s most popular brands in the consumer health segment, and this should help it hang onto customers. Earlier this year, GSK had embarked on two deals to switch drugs from prescription-only to an over-the-counter format. The switches are supposed to be launched in the next three to four years.

Has the timing impacted the debut?

The listing also comes at a time when the global economic outlook isn’t very bright. The war in Ukraine, higher interest rates, and the cost-of-living crisis have led to a weaker risk appetite among investors. The UK markets haven’t been strong in terms of performance this year. In particular, consumer and retail stocks have been hit hard due to the decades-high inflation levels.

Despite the initial challenges, the future does look brighter for Haleon as it is a cash-generative business. It’ll take some time to find out whether it’ll be more than just a defensive performer.

Healthcare, Job Opportunities, Jobs, Nursing

Become a healthcare support worker at one of the top performing trusts in the country- recruitment day at Tunbridge Wells Hospital on 23 July 2022

Healthcare support workers play a vital role in helping us deliver the very best care to our patients. If you’re Interested in this role and would like to work at one of the top performing trusts in the country and we’d love to meet you at our recruitment event at Tunbridge Wells Hospital on Saturday 23 July from 9am to 3pm.

The event is open to anyone who is interested in a career in healthcare and wants to become a healthcare support worker and join our friendly nursing teams.

Healthcare support workers help patients in a variety of ways including support with social and physical activities, personal care, mealtimes and booking appointments, as well as taking patient observations, including their temperature and pulse[i].

Joining the Trust as a healthcare support worker is an opportunity for people to learn and develop their nursing skills, in a fast-paced, very busy hospital. No qualifications or experience are necessary as full training is provided.

 

Hannah Tompsett, Deputy Chief Nurse at MTW said: “The recruitment day is a chance for people to meet our staff and find out what the role entails and what it’s like to work at the Trust. They could also walk away with a job offer on the day.

“I joined MTW earlier this year and it’s a great place to work. The Trust offers a supportive environment where people are really given the chance to develop and progress their career. It supports flexible working patterns, and there are many staff benefits to ensure an excellent work-life balance.

“We’re looking for people who want to kick start their healthcare career, return to work after a break or change careers, and we encourage people to come along and talk to our experienced nursing team about the opportunities we have.”

 

The recruitment day takes place in the reception area at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Tonbridge Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 4QJ on 23 July. On the day there will be a presentation about the role and the Trust, a tour of the hospital and the possibility of being interviewed for a specific role. For more information, click here.

Interested? MTW is a large acute hospital trust in Kent. The Trust provides a full range of general services and some areas of complex care to around 760,000 people in the south part of West Kent and the north part of East Sussex.

MTW recently launched a major recruitment drive focused on clinical roles. This comes at an exciting time as the Trust has invested in new facilities, service developments, training centres and digital transformations. To find out more about career opportunities, go to: Home – Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (mtwcareers.com)

 

 

[i] https://www.england.nhs.uk/nursingmidwifery/healthcare-support-worker-programme/#:~:text=Healthcare%20support%20workers%20play%20a,meal%20times%2C%20booking%20appointments%20etc.