NHS Innovation On Show At Business Breakfast

19th March 2014

FinditinWorcestershire continues to showcase the best business opportunities in the county at latest breakfast meeting.

Innovative new products and services developed by Worcestershire companies were showcased to local NHS buyers at a free business breakfast recently.

Finditinworcestershire’s ‘NHS Innovations Meet The Buyer Special’ breakfast and networking meeting took place at Worcester Warriors’ Sixways Stadium last Tuesday, with more than 120 delegates in attendance.

Opportunity

Local firms took the opportunity to show procurement experts from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals (WAH) NHS Trust and Worcestershire Health & Care NHS Trust what they can do.

Some of the innovative products and services – which may be able to save the NHS time and money – included clinical management software, automation and robotics, insulated window coatings, employee relocation services and online support networks.

Innovation

Following a presentation from Charlotte Kings (in left of picture), Head of Procurement at WAH NHS Trust, delegates also heard insights about the importance of innovation from Philip Dean (pictured centre), director of Dortrend International Ltd. The manufacturer and designer of specialist door handles including fittings for the less physically able, anti-bacterial handles and anti-ligature fittings, is based in Stourport-on-Severn.

An open networking session, complete with breakfast, allowed delegates to meet one another and explain their products and services while a series of one-to-one meetings with NHS buyers took place. Local companies also exhibited in the venue, alongside the county’s main business support provider, Worcestershire.Business.Central.

Connections

Kathryn Wagstaff, Project Manager of Finditinworcestershire, said: “The breakfast meeting was an excellent example of how Finditinworcestershire brings local buyers and suppliers together. There are clear benefits for both, as the NHS have been shown a range of potential time and money-saving solutions, while our members may have found new customers. Making connections like these is a great boost to the local economy, so we’re delighted that the event was such a success.”

The Finditinworcestershire business portal and face-to-face networking programme has advertised more than £158 million of contracts to its 5,800+ members since 2011. It was developed by Worcestershire County Council and aims to boost the county's economy by giving local businesses the support and contacts they need to pitch for, and win, more and bigger contracts - and to 'match-make' local businesses.

Evesham's Areca Design is one of the latest in a long line of county businesses to benefit from the breakfast gatherings.

The next Finditinworcestershire breakfast and networking meeting, ‘Developing Growth Ambitions,’ will take place at Worcester Warriors’ Sixways Stadium on Tuesday 15 April. Free places can be booked online at www.finditinworcestershire.com, where unregistered local businesses can also sign up for free