£114k awarded to drive NHS innovations across South London

Twelve projects including schemes to improve the care of depression in older people, a new way to deliver medication to housebound patients and digital diabetes education have won funding under South London Small Grants 2017.

The awards were made by the Health Innovation Network working in partnership with Health Education England. In all there were 75 applications across 42 different organisations that applied for funding. 

The aim of the grants is to encourage innovations that address the gaps highlighted in the NHS Five Year Forward View and support the ambitions of the Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships within south London. The funding also aims to encourage cross-boundary working in areas of research, education and improvement in healthcare services.

In previous years, the Small Grants have enabled people across London to access small pockets of funding for research and innovation to try out their ideas, using the grant as a springboard to support their potential.

The 12 Projects that will receive funding are:

• Jane Berg, Deputy Director Skills, Knowledge and Research, (Princess Alice Hospice): Development of a faculty of Hospice Evaluation Champions (HEC)
• Catherine Gamble, Head of Nursing Education, Practice and Research, (South West London and St Georges Mental Health Trust): To improve the management and treatment of depression in older people residing in care homes- A Quality Improvement Project
• Dr Cheryl Gillett, Head of Biobanking, (Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust): Using Volunteers to Seek Consent for Research Biobanking
• Jignesh I. Sangani, Practice Pharmacist, (Brockwell Park Surgery): A new approach to medication delivery for housebound patients that aims to identify and manage medication issues, wellbeing, living and safety concerns
• Emma Evans, Consultant Anaesthetist, (St George’s University Hospital Foundation Trust): Proposal to train staff to apply patient-centred quality improvement methods to improve the experience of women having operative deliveries, and their families
• Sandra Parish, Simulation Nurse Tutor, (Lambeth Hospital): Starting the Conversation – Advanced Care Planning and End of Life Care Skills Training in Dementia Care
• Clare Elliott, Planned Care Projects & SWL Lead for Diabetes, (Wandsworth CCG): Digital Diabetes Education
• Dr Stephanie Lamb, GP, (Evelina Children’s Hospital): Feasibility study for assessing the effectiveness and impact of using a bio-psychosocial assessment tool to encourage holistic conversations with young people for Youth Workers
• Ann Ozsivadjian, Principal Clinical Psychologist, (Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust): Meeting the mental health needs of children and young people with autism spectrum disorder – a collaboration between health and education
• Kath Howes, Lead Pharmacist, (University Hospital Lewisham): Validation Of A Tool That Assesses The Impact Of A Medicines Optimisation Service
• Professor Matthew Hotopf, Director of NiHR Biomedical Research Centre, (King’s Health Partners): IMPARTS MOOC – Integrating Mental & Physical Health: Depression & Anxiety
• Felicity Reed, Practice Lead, (Southwark Council): Incredible Women

Health Innovation Network Chief Executive Tara Donnelly said:

Great ideas are at the centre of innovation in healthcare but sometimes they need a small amount of money to help them develop. The NHS faces real financial challenges and innovation is vital in order to improve patient care and reduce costs so South London Small Grants play a key role in all of our healthcare. These 12 winning projects look like being important innovations that could really make a difference.

Health Education England – South London Local Director Aurea Jones said:

South London Small Grants is all about helping develop innovations that have a funding gap to make sure they happen. We had a record number of applications and it was very difficult to shortlist but the winning 12 are excellent projects that should make a real difference to people’s lives. I look forward to following the progress of these initiatives closely and seeing how they deliver real healthcare improvements.