How the Hegenberger Retractor supports careful, dignified postnatal repairs
Blog article
For perineal specialist midwife Malene Hegenberger, a challenge encountered repeatedly in practice became the starting point for a new innovation in postpartum care. After finding it difficult to achieve a clear view and maintain access when examining and repairing perineal tears following childbirth, Malene developed the Hegenberger Retractor, a device designed to gently hold tissue…
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Empowering pharmacists for healthier futures
Blog article
To mark World Pharmacist Day on Friday 25 September 2026, Rosie Marchant, Pharmacist Clinical Lead at Health Innovation West of England, reflects on her career as a pharmacist, her journey to becoming Clinical Lead for our work as part of the Health Innovation Network’s on-going cluster, Preventing Problematic Polypharmacy, and how the programme is helping…
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Let’s talk about civility in the workplace
Blog article
Sarah White, Senior Project Manager for our Academy, explores why civility between colleagues is about more than creating a pleasant working environment: it’s essential for nurturing a space where innovation and capability can flourish. Why is this an important conversation to have? Because civility at work, and more importantly, the lack of it, affects us…
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Health innovation in action
Blog article
Marking the publication of Health Innovation West of England’s new impact report for 2025-26, our Chair and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West of England, Steve West, and our Chief Executive, Natasha Swinscoe, reflect on a year of transformative progress in embedding innovation into everyday care. Over the past year, Health Innovation West of…
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Innovative app Pal supports families through serious illness
Blog article
When a loved one is diagnosed with a serious or life-limiting illness, families often find themselves becoming carers overnight. Juggling appointments, managing symptoms and coordinating support can be overwhelming, particularly with little guidance on where to turn. That’s the challenge Pal is tackling. Co-founded by CEO Nara Moripen following her own experience of caring for…
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From community activism to system accountability: highlights from the Black Maternal Health Conference
Blog article
During Black Maternal Health Week, our Head of Communications, Vanesther Hamer, shares her reflections on attending the Black Maternal Health Conference UK 2026 in London last month. In March I had the privilege of joining colleagues to represent Black Maternity Matters at the Black Maternal Health Conference UK 2026 in London, and I’ve found myself…
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Redefining ‘the system’: moving from transaction to co-creation in health innovation
Blog article
In this blog, our new Associate Director for Strategic Partnerships and Delivery, Logan Ryan, challenges us to reconsider who needs an equal seat at the table when we’re planning how to transform health and social care services and unlock impactful innovation. When we talk about the ‘system’, we often use the term as a catch-all…
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A look back at the Respiratory Showcase
Blog article
Mohua Siddique, Senior Innovation Advisor at Health Innovation West of England, reflects on the recent Respiratory Innovation Showcase, an online event on 3 March hosted for the NHS in collaboration with our neighbouring health innovation networks in the South of England. Mohua discusses what the selected innovators achieved, what attendees gained from the event and…
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Looking back and leading forward: Martha’s Rule celebration event
Blog article
Siobhan Lanigan is a Critical Care Nurse at the Bristol Royal Infirmary on secondment to Health Innovation West of England to support the local rollout of Martha’s Rule. In this blog, Siobhan reports on a recent event to celebrate our collective achievements to date in rolling out the Martha’s Rule patient safety initiative across our…
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Navigating AI regulation in UK healthcare: practical guidance for innovators
Blog article
Artificial intelligence continues to reshape what’s possible in healthcare, but ensuring innovations are safe, trusted and adoption-ready remains a critical challenge. In this final blog of our series following Health Innovation West of England’s Designing AI Healthcare Solutions webinar, we hear from regulatory expert Sam Bacon of SGB QA/RA Consulting Ltd. Drawing on his experience…
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