Member Article

Secretary of State visits Leeds to discover healthcare technology innovations

ConferenceLeeds is celebrating the success of a visit hosted by a number of Leeds organisations, who collaborated to welcome Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to the city for an introduction into a number of the city’s innovative healthcare initiatives.

The visit, which was organised by Leeds City Council, brought together a number of leading organisations who are working to co-produce pioneering ideas for the city’s growing Health and Wellbeing sector. These organisations included NHS Digital and the University of Leeds, alongside representatives from the private sector and neutral tech hubs such as the Open Data Institute.

During his visit, Matt was introduced to a number of technology systems created and grown in Leeds, including HELM the Person Held Record, Leeds Homes Social Housing Checker and Careview, an app used by vetted professionals, including postmen and healthcare staff, to report concerns that indicate a person is experiencing loneliness or social isolation.

Claire Heap, Head of ConferenceLeeds, said: “We are thrilled that the Secretary of State, Matthew Hancock visited Leeds to see first-hand how the city is leading the way in the health care sector. Leeds is home to NHS digital and is a leading digital hub for healthcare, among other sectors. Leeds’ healthcare and wellbeing development has transformed the city, making it the perfect place to hold conferences for this industry.”

Kathryn Connell, Director of the ODI Leeds, which is a node of the Open Data Institute, said: “It was great to welcome Matt Hancock to the city and the ODILeeds to see first-hand the innovations that we are working with in the healthcare sector here. What’s more, many of the projects being developed are open source and co-produced so they could be adapted to other cities and regions across the country, which really demonstrates how well Leeds is placed in driving innovation across the healthcare sector not just in the north of the UK but nationally. Being radically open encourages innovation and collaboration. “

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Savage .