The ‘hi we can help’ website, which was launched just five months ago, has achieved an impressive 2nd place victory at the Bright Ideas in Health Awards which recognises the most exciting and innovative new services in the North East’s NHS Trusts.

The awards ceremony, which was organised by the NHS Innovations North team at RTC North, took place at the Hilton Hotel, Gateshead, on May 7th. Now in its sixth year, the competition recognises intellectual property within the healthcare sector and showcases exciting new services and bright ideas developed by employees in the region’s NHS Trusts.

Just five months after its launch, and the ‘hi we can help’ website is continuing to receive outstanding feedback and high industry acclaim.

hiwecanhelp.co.uk, which scooped a 2nd place victory in the Innovative Services category, was created to support healthcare professionals and reduce the harm caused by drugs in the community. The overall concept was created and developed by Roweena Russell, Harm Reduction Strategy Manager at North Tyneside’s Drugs Action Team, and designed and built by TH_NK.

The site is a vital resource for the region, acting not only as a community forum where people can talk to each other and seek advice about drug-related issues, but it also allows individuals to obtain practical information about treatment and support services in their area. It also includes a video facility where visitors can download and watch the 57-minute documentary, Treatment: The Works, which was created by the central policy team at the Home Office and had never previously been available online.

We’re absolutely delighted that our website has received such a prestigious award and has been recognised and showcased in the Innovative Services category. Thanks to the help, support and guidance from TH_NK, we are now providing a valuable resource amongst healthcare and community professionals in the area.

Roweena RussellHarm Reduction Strategy Manager, Drugs Action Team

Backed by the region’s NHS Trusts, this year’s awards were sponsored by Newcastle Science City, NHS North East, Cels and HealthConnect, One NorthEast, UDL Patent Attorneys, Marks and Clerks Patent Attorneys, Hargreaves Elsworth Patent Attorneys, Watson Burton LLP, DLAB at The Institute of Design Innovation, Teesside University and The Centre for Design Research at Northumbria University.

It has been another year of outstanding success in the search for new ways of improving our National Health Service. Innovation in healthcare covers a wide variety of activity, from laboratory research to the vast potential for innovation that lies in the minds of those that work at the front end, delivering NHS services. This year’s submissions have been so groundbreaking that the judging panel had difficulty in honing down on ten entries to receive awards.

Professor Sir Miles IrvingChairman of NHS Innovations North