“Fantastic” – the conclusion of Matt Whitty the Director of NHS England and NHS Improvement and CEO of the Accelerated Access Collaborative in a video message to nominees at the North West Coast Research and Innovation Awards.

Returning after an absence of two years, the event celebrated a variety of work underway in health and care across the region as well as demonstrating the impact clinical research, applied research and innovation has on patient and social care.
In all 180 nominations were received – a record number – with judges facing a tough job to decide winners in 12 categories announced at Edge Hill University on 23 June.

BBC North West Tonight presenter Roger Johnson swopped the red sofa for the Rose Theatre at Edge Hill to welcome an audience of almost 250 with the event also streamed to supporters and well-wishers.

Awards this year reflected work carried out across the region to combat Covid-19. Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were recognised for the introduction of a digital Covid passport while a collaboration led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to recruit volunteers to a vaccine trial was also rewarded.

During what was to be a good night for Lancashire, two GP surgeries in Blackpool were also honoured with awards for their research work.
A project involving Everton Football Club’s community team, the Tate and Edge Hill University received a top award highlighting efforts to tackle inequality in health. Judges praised the ‘Tackling the Blues’ project which aims to improve the mental health of children, young people and their communities.

The awards are hosted by the Innovation Agency, NIHR Clinical Research Network North West Coast (CRN NWC), and Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast (ARC NWC).

This year nominations were welcomed in 12 categories including one recognising work carried out during the pandemic. For the first time additional awards supported by the region’s two Integrated Care Systems were also presented recognising the close ties between health and social care colleagues across the North West Coast.

“This was an amazing evening to pay tribute to colleagues who have worked tirelessly during very demanding times to make a difference,” Dr Phil Jennings, Innovation Agency Chief Executive said. “In my mind they are all winners and events like this are an ideal opportunity to say ‘thanks’ to those who quietly got on with work that is making a difference to the lives of many thousands of people in this region and beyond.”

Professor Mark Gabbay, Director of ARC NWC, said: “The role of collaboration has been key to delivering so many of the initiatives we have celebrated tonight. The region’s population will continue to benefit from many of the research projects featured for years to come. Tonight is a reminder of just how lucky we are to have people with amazing skills and talent, who can come together, and deliver such pioneering research and innovation across the North West Coast.”

Professor Enitan Carrol, Clinical Director of the Clinical Research Network: North West Coast, added: “It is wonderful to see the North West Coast Research and Innovation Awards back in 2022. The finalists represent the very best of health and care staff, patients and public, all coming together to show how research and innovation can help improve the health and wellbeing of the communities who live in our region. Congratulations to all who have been shortlisted. ”

For more information about the awards, visit http://www.nwcawards.co.uk/

North West Coast Research and Innovation Awards 2022
ARC NWC Award Categories – Winners and Shortlisted

Research Student of the Year
Winner- University of Liverpool,James Watson
Runner-Up- University of Liverpool,Wern Y. Ding
Runner Up- Liverpool John Moores University, Sarah Stanley

Ruth Young Award for Research Implementation
Winner- Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust ,Collaborating with General Practice and Community settings to implement findings about effective Mental Health Prevention and Promotion interventions
Runner-Up- University of Chester, Westminster Centre for Research in Veterans, Evaluation of the Veteran Friendly GP Practice Accreditation Programme
Runner-Up- University of Central Lancashire / East Lancashire Hospital Trust, Implementation and evaluation of Neurorehabilitation Online within the NHS

Outstanding Contribution to Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)
Winner- Cheshire & Merseyside Specialist Perinatal Service (SPMH), Cheshire & Merseyside Local Maternity System (LMS) & Cheshire & Merseyside Maternal Mental Health Service (MMHS) Coproduction from start to end
Runner Up- Salaso
Patients at the heart of Codesign and production
Runner Up- North West Ambulance Service
Patient and Public Panel Involvement in development of QI Programmes

CRN NWC Award Categories – Winners and Shortlisted

Research Delivery Team of The Year (including a joint third)
Winner- Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust Clinical Research, AGILE the UK Early Phase Clinical Trial Platform
Runner Up- University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, Research and Development at UHMBT
Runner Up- Lancaster Medical Practice By The Bay, Community GP Research From Lancaster Medical Practice
Runner Up- Mid Cheshire Hospitals Mid Cheshire RECOVERY Trial Delivery Team

Research Collaboration of The Year
Winner- PRC: Blackpool & Fylde Coast Clinical Research Rising to the Challenge of Research Delivery Across the Fylde Coast: A Primary /Secondary Care Collaboration
Runner Up- LSTM Plus LSTM + Primary Care, Liverpool, St Helen’s, Wirral and Chester Hospitals, NIHR LCRN Industry, United to Support Respiratory Infection Research
Runner Up- Warrington & Halton Teaching Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Liverpool Clinical Research Facility
Clinical Research Network North West Coast Halton Clinical Research Unit – Success in Partnership

Primary Care and/or Community Research Site of The Year
Winner- Fylde Coast Clinical Research at Layton Medical Centre Small team, big dreams, bigger successes. Showcasing the potential of Primary Care
Runner Up- St George’s Medical Centre, Driving Primary Care Research Forward in a Research Naïve population
Runner Up- Waterloo Medical Centre, Primary Care Research Tackling Health Inequalities

Innovation Agency Award Categories – Winners and Shortlisted

Innovation in Patient Safety
Winner- University of Liverpool Drug Interactions Drug Liverpool COVID-19 Drug Interactions
Runner Up- Primary Care Knowsley, Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Innovation Agency Proactive Management of asthma in Primary Care for patients in Knowsley
Runner Up- Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust Innovation Little Hearts at Home

Innovation in Workforce Deployment
Winner Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust COVID-19 Digital Staff Passport
Runner Up St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Lead Employer and Patchwork Health Establishing the North West Collaborative Bank – the largest in the UK
Runner Up-Innovation Agency, HEE, UCLan and C&M, L&SC and GM ICSs An innovative new career route for psychology graduates in The North West Region, to address workforce supply challenges in the NHS.

Culture for Innovation
Winner Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Daring to Innovate
Runner Up-The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust Driving innovation across the workforce to benefit cancer patient treatment care.
Runner Up-Marie Curie Hospice Liverpool
A Hospice for Innovation

Innovation Agency, ARC NWC and CRN NWC Award Category – Winner and Shortlisted

Covid 19 Research and Innovation
Winner- LSTM PLUS Pandemic Response LSTM PLUS
(LSTM + Primary Care, Liverpool, St Helen’s, Wirral and Chester Hospitals and NIHR LCRN, United to Support Pandemic Research (Oxford Vaccine Trials).
Translational Research and Collaboration at its Best: Supporting Oxford Astra Zeneca Vaccine Development from concept to MHRA authorisation within 9 months
Runner Up- University of Liverpool Institute of Population Health and Liverpool City Region Civic Data Cooperative COVID SMART Response and Recovery
Runner Up- Dr Clarissa Giebel, Covid 19 and Dementia

ICS Award Categories – Winners and Shortlisted

Tackling Health Inequalities
Winner-Edge Hill University, Tate Liverpool and Everton in the Community Tackling the Blues: improving the mental health of children, young people and their communities
Runner Up- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Building Attachment and Bonds Service (BABS)
Runner Up- FCMS (NW) Ltd Innovating to overcome Health Inequalities experienced within the Homeless Community

Sustainability
Winner-Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Fabric Theatre Caps – Providing safe patient care and reducing single-use PPE
Runner Up-Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare
Nature Recovery Ranger in Liverpool
Runner Up-University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT)
Local businesses partner with the NHS to deliver a more sustainable PPE solution
Runner Up- Primary Care Knowsley, Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Innovation Agency
Proactive management of asthma in primary care for patients in Knowsley