The Welsh Health Hack returns in 2022 for its ninth iteration to support Wales’ innovators and clinicians in developing solutions to power the NHS to Covid-19 recovery.
Taking place over two sessions on February 16th and St. David’s Day, the event is the latest in a series of health hacks that have seen some of the nation’s best and brightest innovators secure start-up funding to develop solutions supporting the health sector in Wales and deliver real-life benefits for patients and clinicians.
The purpose of the Hack is to encourage collaboration and shine a spotlight on innovative ideas, providing exposure to experts and access to resources often difficult to find. The theme of this year’s Hack is assisting NHS Wales’ Covid-19 Reset and Recovery, and the organisers are inviting clinicians and professionals to submit their challenges for individuals to pitch their innovative solutions.
Health and Social Care workers are invited to share their challenges before being guided to collaborate with innovators and develop a solution, which is pitched to a panel in the hope of securing start-up funding.
The event has a proven history of attracting a range of talented professionals from across industry and health and social care to compete for funding, with previous winners having presented projects that have been actioned in various Health Boards across Wales.
Managing Director of Menai Science Park, Pryderi ap Rhisiart, said:
The Welsh Health Hack is an incredible event and showcase of innovative solutions to real-world challenges that can make a positive difference to patients and clinicians in our health and social care sector in Wales.
Bringing health and social care professionals from across Wales together with problem solvers to collaborate and innovate in tackling real-world challenges that will improve health and social care in Wales, it is a very inspiring event and we’re proud to be playing our part in making it happen.
Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan, said:
Our Health & Social Care colleagues continue to go above and beyond in their response to Covid-19. We also recognise that innovation has been crucial in finding new ways to respond to the pandemic, which has provided both new challenges but also new opportunities to learn and work differently.
A key component of the Welsh Health and Care innovation landscape, the Welsh Health Hack continues to be a platform that stimulates and supports innovation by bringing dedicated NHS Wales staff together with universities and industry partners to develop new technological solutions.
The solutions developed by the Welsh Health Hack 2022 will further help us in our path to Covid-19 recovery by solving real world health challenges proposed by our clinicians and health practitioners in Wales.
Minister for Economy, Vaughan Gething, said:
Innovation has a vital role to play in supporting the well-being of people, including our future generations. During the Covid pandemic, I saw for myself how many Welsh companies stepped forward with innovative new products that helped the NHS provide life-saving care and treatments for people across the country.
The Health Hack creates the conditions needed for the development of new ideas and solutions, enabling us to continue to support a pipeline of new products, services and ways of working that will deliver real-life benefits in Wales throughout our recovery from Covid-19 and beyond.