CW Innovation hosted a special New Horizons event yesterday for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust staff to share ideas and hear about projects that are already making a difference to patients and staff across the Trust’s two hospital sites. This event was programmed as part of the Trust’s annual Research, Innovation and Quality Improvement (RIQI) celebration, which has been taking place all week to showcase best practice as part of the NHS75 Birthday activities.

Titled ‘New Realities in Healthcare’, the CW Innovation event was an opportunity to celebrate existing CW Innovation projects, inspire future work, and for staff to see and experience some of the technologies supported by the programme.

Staff from across the Trust heard presentations from a range of colleagues leading on these initiatives. Felix Vaal, Senior Project Manager for Digital Innovation, spoke about working with our digital appointments provider, DrDoctor using AI to identify patients at highest risk of not attending their appointments (DNA’s) and targeting messages to increase attendances. Dr Brent Bartholomew, Acute Medicine Consultant, and the Undergraduate Medical Education Fellows, discussed augmented reality with HoloLens. Harry Sarsah, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, spoke about virtual reality with Kiin; and Leigh Paxton, ICU Matron, gave an insight into immersive technology with Little Journey.

The CW Innovation event was also about empowering staff and looking to the future with the announcement of the new cohort of Horizon Fellows. Alongside its delivery partner Digital Health.London, CW Innovation has appointed 15 Trust staff onto the second Horizon Fellowship programme, which offers one-year Fellowships that support and fund Fellows to develop and deliver innovative projects that will positively impact patients.

The Fellowship will support members of staff from all levels of the Trust, including clinical and administrative staff, equipping them with new skills and knowledge and connecting them to like-minded peers and mentors. Throughout the year, the Fellows will also have access to workshops, resources and events to share experience, tackle challenges, learn from experts and co-design solutions.

Chris Chaney, Chief Executive of CW+, said: ‘We were delighted to be part of RIQI 2023 and to showcase and celebrate some of the incredible innovation projects that Trust staff are implementing in our hospitals. The Horizon Fellowship plays a key role in supporting a broader culture of innovation at the Trust, which is why yesterday’s event seemed like the perfect platform to announce our next cohort.

‘Congratulations to our newly appointed Fellows. We’re excited to help develop your ideas and see the impact they have on our patients over the coming year and beyond. The Horizon Fellowship really is a fantastic opportunity for Trust staff to receive the support they need to bring their innovative ideas to life. It also further cements the Trust’s reputation as a leader in the digital health field and an early adopter of next-generation approaches to care.’

Newly appointed Horizon Fellow, Noni Nonhlanhla Nyathi, said: ‘It’s been a fantastic event, and I’m excited to be part of the Horizon Fellowship, which will give me the chance to connect with others and to learn how to design, plan and deliver my project to improve patient care and experience in our hospitals.’

See the full list of Horizon Fellows and browse their profiles.

RIQI 2023 has involved a week of in-person and live-streamed events, with presentations from Trust clinicians, a panel debate about the future and opportunities of research at the Trust and the RIQI 2023 CEO Awards. At both hospital sites, a Digital Poster Gallery showcased over 80 recent projects at the Trust. Read more about RIQI 2023 here.