The Liverpool Health and Care Innovation Forum held its inaugural meeting at Institute in the Park, Alder Hey Hospital.

The event brought together healthcare innovators, industry and academic experts who shone a light on the transformational change taking place in the city. They shared insights into new technologies and innovative ways of working that are helping improve the health of the local population and beyond.

The event was opened by Emma Hughes, Deputy Managing Director of Innovation, Alder Hey, who welcomed colleagues to the Alder Hey Innovation Hub, before a showcase of game changing work taking place in the facility.

It included Robotic Process Automation, which is transforming areas of outpatient bookings, referrals and patient records, and data science techniques to help staff planning through predicting patient attendance numbers. There was also a fascinating introduction to techniques for remote patient monitoring used in the Little Hearts at Home programme, and the ISLA platform that allows the safe capture, storage and sharing of photographs, videos and structured assessment forms between patients, carers, and clinicians.

Innovators were then invited to share the projects they are leading, using both established and emerging technologies.

Dr Carl Chalmers and Prof Paul Fergus of Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) introduced Conservation AI, an innovative method of monitoring animal populations with drones to inform conservation strategies. The project tested the artificial intelligence system at Knowsley Safari and Dr Chalmers and Prof Fergus said they were keen to explore how they might use the technology to help children being treated in hospital.

Jo Rycroft, a post-doctoral researcher at LJMU, shared how clinical exercise physiology is helping patients with multiple chronic diseases, including cancer patients. In doing so they have established a new, accredited, allied health profession.

Mike Kenny, Associate Director for Enterprise and Growth at the Innovation Agency, shared news of EndoSign, a fast and simple test to protect oesophageal health through a tiny sponge in a capsule that the patient swallows and gathers cells for analysis. The Innovation Agency secured the funding for a pilot and its patient and public involvement team were involved from the start.

The AI based chatbot to help reduce waiting times for headache patients was presented by Dr Rhys Davis, Clinical Director of Medical Education and Research at The Walton Centre. In partnership with Tata Consultancy Service, the digital solution interacts with patients being referred to neurology or a headache specialist to collect details of their condition and symptoms through a structured set of questions. The chatbot reduces the need for specialist consultants, whose time is very scarce, to spend their first appointment asking those questions. This will enhance their productivity and help bring down the waiting time for patients. 

The CYP As One mental health platform was introduced to colleagues by Emma Hughes and Grahame Smith, a mental health nursing academic from Liverpool John Moores University. The platform improves efficiency in referrals, waiting times and access to mental health care and resources. It has seen a 7.48 per cent increase in patients receiving treatment within two weeks. 

Anne Marie Davies and William Calvert of Alder Hey shared results of an AI tool developed by Alder Hey Innovation and used across 10 Trusts to identify the risk of a child not being brought to their appointment. Not being brought is heavily linked with deprivation. The tool can significantly help improve efficiencies in resource allocation. The tool supports increased access to care, identifying those at risk of not being brought, addressing healthcare inequalities and improving health outcomes. In practical terms, it also significantly helps to improve efficiencies in resource allocation.

Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust (LUHFT) presented two innovations. The first, an interactive form for patients with inflammatory bowel conditions to reduce call time with NHS staff and free up resources, was presented by Kurt Christian from the Trust’s partner DrDoctor. The second was shared by Dr Andrew Rose, Assistant Director of Innovation at LUHFT, who shared news of Leafix, an innovative airway securing device which simplifies the process and reduces the risk of error.

Following the presentations, colleagues spent time discussing the local system and barriers to and opportunities for innovation.

Seamus O’Neill, Interim Managing Director of Liverpool Health Partners, said: “The inaugural Liverpool Health and Care Innovation Forum was a great opportunity for innovators from across Liverpool to come together, share learning and formulate ideas about how they can collaborate in the future to benefit the health of the local population and raise the profile of the region as a centre of excellence. We intend to make sure that this becomes a regular event: bringing together colleagues, generating ideas and mobilising the excellence across the city to deliver on the opportunities ahead.”

Adam Bateman, Alder Hey Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director Alder Hey Futures, said: “It was inspiring to hear the range of health care innovations taking place across health care providers in Liverpool and the contribution it is making to addressing inequalities, improving the patient’s experience of care, and enhancing clinical outcomes. We are now turning our focus on collaborating and sharing our innovation capabilities to deliver further benefits for the people of Liverpool and beyond.”