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9th December 2011

MediWales Innovation Awards 2011 – Congratulations to all!

Congratulations to all MediWales Innovation Awards winners and thank you to all our guests, who made the evening such a resounding success!

A special thank you to our event sponsors GE Healthcare, Geldards LLP, Abel & Imray, GX Group and Huntleigh for their generous support. Kicking off at 6.30pm, 250 of our most valued members and stakeholders sipped champagne in front of the Christmas tree at Cardiff’s Hilton Hotel. Commenting on the MediWales Innovation Awards 2011, Wales’ Chief Medical Officer said, ‘This event recognises good innovation and excellence but is also an opportunity to network and solve difficulties facing the sector.” The First Minister of Wales, Rt. Hon. Carwyn Jones AM opened the Ceremony, with biotech entrepreneur, Sir Chris Evans, and the Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, among others, presenting six prestigious awards to industry, and three to NHS departments. In partnership with Welsh Government’s National Institute for Social Care and Health Research (NISCHR), the evening celebrated the remarkable innovations within both Welsh Industry and NHS organisations. The Innovation Award was won by ConvaTec Ltd, for developing their AQUACEL® SURGICAL dressings, containing Hydrofiber Technology designed for use over joints following knee or hip replacement surgery. They are extensible and absorbent reducing stresses on the skin and enhancing mobility. Clinical evidence has shown a reduction in patient discharge times. This award was sponsored by SMTL Ltd. The Start-Up Award was picked up by spinout company, Microvisk Technologies, who are developing the world’s first medical diagnostic strip based on a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) that’s used in devices such as the iPhone. This patented nanotechnology detects the subtle changes in blood viscosity and monitors blood clotting in warfarin patients. The company has worked closely with NHS North West and will commercialise in 2012. This Award is sponsored by the Health Protection Agency. For the second year running Chromogenex has won the Export Award. A leader in the development and manufacture of laser systems for the cosmetic and medical markets, their strategy focuses on the high growth markets of Brazil, the Far East, India, South Africa, as well as Europe and North America. Despite difficult economic times the company has had an average annual growth of 75% for three consecutive years. This award is sponsored by DTR Medical. Biotec Services International won the Growth Award. Based in Bridgend, they provide temperature controlled pharmaceutical services to the global pharmaceutical industry. Employing 45 personnel and turning over 7.3 million pounds, they have seen 110% growth in the last year. This award was sponsored by Teamworks Design and Marketing. A true industry–NHS collaboration was recognised this year, with Flexicare Medical winning the Partnership with the NHS Award for the collaborative design and development of non-interchangeable connectors that stop drugs being given to patients by the wrong route. The Hall Lock is the only system with a full range of needles, syringes, manometers and tamper evident caps meeting the needs of the anaesthetic and pharmaceutical markets. This Award is sponsored by eHealth Industries Innovation (ehi2) Centre. The Industry Judges’ Award was won by Calon Cardio-Technology, a pre-revenue company specialising in the development of low-cost, minimally invasive blood pumps for the treatment of chronic and acute heart failure. The team of seven have developed a haemolysis-free pump currently in line for acute in vivo trials. In just four years, and despite recession, they have raised investment of £2.2million. The Innovation within the NHS Award was won by Mr Richard Penketh, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. Richard’s project, enabled by a health foundation grant and an equipment loan from Karl Storz, relocates the traditional procedure of cutting fibroids and polyps under general anaesthetic to outpatients under local anaesthetic. The project has received excellent feedback from patients and has made significant savings for the Trust. The team hopes this positive change will be adopted across the UK. This Award is sponsored by Wynne-Jones, Lainé& James LLP. The NHS partnership with Industry Award went to Professor Judith Hall, a consultant anaesthetist at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, for the collaborative development of the Hall Lock device with Flexicare Medical. Judith’s brain child, this new system of connectors is designed to stop drugs being given to patients by the wrong route. It is an important patient safety innovation and a cost-effective solution for a major problem in health. The development of this device is an excellent example of what can be rapidly achieved when academia, the NHS and industry work together. This Award is sponsored by the National Institute of Social Care and Health Research (NISCHR). The NHS Judges’ Award was received by Dr Kathryn Head, Clinical Lead and Speech and Language Therapist at Cwm Taf Health Board. Kathryn’s collaborative University of Glamorgan and Cwm Taf project is a bedside dysphagia screening process aimed at improving patient safety. Dysphagia – difficulty in swallowing – affects up to 78% of stroke patients. The process has been successfully implemented by NHS nurses and Kathryn intends that with further collaboration and funding it can be rolled out across Wales. Congratulations to all. We very much look forward to working with you all in the year to come. Best wishes, The MediWales Team