West Midlands has released its 2023/24 Impact Report

West Midlands showcases its impact on the health and care sector in new report 

Health Innovation West Midlands (HIWM) has released its 2023/24 Impact Report, highlighting key achievements and contributions to the local healthcare sector, patients and staff. 

The report highlights HIWM’s work with the region’s six local integrated care boards, and direct engagement with local enterprise and healthcare providers, having supported 446 businesses and 293 healthcare sites in the last year.  

As well as providing training and support to staff, HIWM has been integral in the development of new treatments and solutions to improve the overall delivery of care. 

The organisation’s work has also helped contribute to the region’s healthcare economy, supporting over 50 social enterprises and 32 junior innovators – two of which have progressed their ideas into successful businesses. 

Project highlights from the report include:  

 Heart failure affects just under a million people in the UK and these statistics are rising, accounting for 5% of all emergency admissions to hospital and one million bed days annually. Mortality rate is high with 30-40% of patients dying within a year of diagnosis. 

 Through HIWM’s heart failure programme, 46% of the region’s primary care networks committed to the enhanced heart failure care plan, adopting engaged champions who are undertaking improvement initiatives. 22% of networks also adopted tailored resources for quality enhancement projects and 216 health professionals attended upskilling workshops. 

• The number of women having their labour induced has increased from 25% to 33% over the last ten years. Through the creation and implementation of an Induction of Labour (IOL) Flow and Capacity Coordinator and a Flow and Capacity Midwife at Birmingham Women’s Hospitals, delays in admissions of induced labour were reduced from an average of seven hours to under 15 minutes. The total length from admission to birth was reduced by 16.05 hours, improving outcomes for both mother and child.

• Every year, the primary care sector in England dispenses over one billion prescription items to support an ageing population managing multiple long-term conditions. With an increasing number of medicines comes an increased risk in harm resulting in hospitalisation, and increased mortality. HIWM’s Polypharmacy project supported 144 healthcare professionals through a bespoke training programme to inform and identify problematic prescribing and better manage the risks and costs associated with taking multiple medications, ultimately protecting patients. 

• ADHD affects 5% of school-aged children and has long-lasting effects on their development if left untreated. Currently diagnosis for ADHD takes around 18 months, involving numerous appointments and assessments costing the NHS £23bn per year. In response, the West Midlands ADHD project funded and implemented the QbTest which assesses a patient’s attention, impulsivity, and motor activity, and can inform a diagnosis in 15 minutes, resulting in time and money saved while improving access to formal diagnosis. 

• Over 65% of the population in the West Midlands are considered within the most deprived 20% of the UK population. Individuals who experience high levels of deprivation are also more likely to experience disease and ill health than their more affluent counterparts. Under the Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme, HIWM was able to address local healthcare inequalities through providing targeted health checks and testing initiatives in the communities facing deprivation.

The programme engaged 2,200 people across the region, providing over 3,800 tests and screenings targeting cardiovascular disease, asthma and general health, with 450 people being referred to further care. 

 Chair of Health Innovation West Midlands, Professor Michael Sheppard, praised the work undertaken by HIWM, stating:  

 “The West Midlands Health Innovation Network represents the fastest growing population in the UK, which has seen an increase by 40,000 in the last 12 months, alongside a rapidly evolving sector.  

“It is our continued mission to develop solutions and innovations that meet local need and accelerate the adoption and spread of proven solutions to allow more people to live in good health for longer.  

“I want to thank all the members of our team and a myriad of partners and collaborators who have made these projects possible as we charge ahead driving positive change and creating a more equitable, sustainable and innovative health and care system.” 

HIWM continues to prioritise the delivery of evidence-based innovations and treatments, to improve the pace and scale of delivery, support the local workforce, and improve the West Midlands’ overall health and wealth. 

To see images, please visit: https://we.tl/t-SogV4DNT3N

To find out more, and to read the full impact Report visit the HIWM website: 

https://www.healthinnovationwestmidlands.org/wp-content/uploads/HIWM-Impact-Report-2024-FV.pdf