PRESS RELEASE May 29th, 2015 Healthcare innovators celebrated at regional awards Hundreds of healthcare professionals gathered to recognise the innovative ideas of frontline staff at the 12th Bright Ideas in Health Awards. The annual event, held at the Hilton Hotel Newcastle Gateshead, shines the spotlight on product and service innovation ideas being developed by NHS staff and healthcare SMEs in the North East and North Cumbria. This year’s ceremony saw a range of pioneering ideas celebrated including a sleep mask which provides non-invasive treatment for diabetic patients with sight problems, a clinic that supports patients suffering chronic fatigue and a specially developed primary care role to support dementia sufferers and their carers. The winners in the five categories received a cash prize to help progress their ideas as well as ongoing specialist support from organisers NHS Innovations North, a service delivered by RTC North Ltd on behalf of the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria (AHSN NENC). A drug-free solution to alleviate the often debilitating symptoms of migraines picked up the first prize in the Innovative Technology or Device category. Developed by Dr Jitka Vanderpol at Cumbria Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust, the COOLHEAD pilot trial researched the benefits of intranasal evaporative cooling for the treatment of migraine. Dr Vanderpol said: “I am delighted to win a Bright Ideas in Health Award 2015. It is great recognition of not just my work and effort, but also the efforts of the whole research team for their support and intellectual and academic contribution to this study. “The results of our pilot trial are promising, 87% of our trial patients benefited from this treatment and found it superior or equal to the regular pharmacological treatments they have used.”
PRESS RELEASE May 29th, 2015 Healthcare innovators celebrated at regional awards Hundreds of healthcare professionals gathered to recognise the innovative ideas of frontline staff at the 12th Bright Ideas in Health Awards. The annual event, held at the Hilton Hotel Newcastle Gateshead, shines the spotlight on product and service innovation ideas being developed by NHS staff and healthcare SMEs in the North East and North Cumbria. This year’s ceremony saw a range of pioneering ideas celebrated including a sleep mask which provides non-invasive treatment for diabetic patients with sight problems, a clinic that supports patients suffering chronic fatigue and a specially developed primary care role to support dementia sufferers and their carers. The winners in the five categories received a cash prize to help progress their ideas as well as ongoing specialist support from organisers NHS Innovations North, a service delivered by RTC North Ltd on behalf of the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria (AHSN NENC). A drug-free solution to alleviate the often debilitating symptoms of migraines picked up the first prize in the Innovative Technology or Device category. Developed by Dr Jitka Vanderpol at Cumbria Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust, the COOLHEAD pilot trial researched the benefits of intranasal evaporative cooling for the treatment of migraine. Dr Vanderpol said: “I am delighted to win a Bright Ideas in Health Award 2015. It is great recognition of not just my work and effort, but also the efforts of the whole research team for their support and intellectual and academic contribution to this study. “The results of our pilot trial are promising, 87% of our trial patients benefited from this treatment and found it superior or equal to the regular pharmacological treatments they have used.”
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