We specialise in creating environments that bring the right people together in order to:

• share learning,
• break down barriers,
• facilitate understanding,
• establish productive new partnerships
• fast track the application of new knowledge and skills in the workplace.

PLI involves innovating existing products and services to meet the needs of patients and carers, by engaging with patients throughout an innovation-led design process. The benefits are that PLI:

• places the patient first, which gives them a strong voice amongst stakeholder groups
• responds to a clear need or concern identified by patients and users
• increases long term health and wellbeing benefits for patients and carers
• speeds up the innovation process by involving patients and carers at the very beginning and throughout, whilst managing the associated risks
• improves the quality of the product or service as it is being continually tested and validated by patients and carers throughout identifies profit-making products and a strong business case for industry and third sector partners
• creates regular interaction between patients and industry designers and engineers, and healthcare professionals, which increases ownership and adoption of the product or service
• creates an equal power balance and partnership between the patients and those that are helping to innovate a product or service
• encourages adoption and diffusion of these innovations throughout the stakeholder groups, particularly within the NHS
• increases trust and respect between the different stakeholder groups
• establishes mutually beneficial partnership working between the public and private sector
• avoids products that are not fit for purpose, acceptable to or needed by patients, or not developed with industry, healthcare professionals and patients.

We organise and facilitate masterclasses, workshops, modules and conferences designed to bring the Health Technology sector together with the NHS and Higher Education.

Train To Gain Enhancement Fund

We have recently successfully tendered for a commissioned contract to deliver a suite of training and development Master Classes and 3 day modules, suitable for the health technology sector. These events will range from identified specialist topic areas to more generic subjects that will be applicable across the breadth of the sector. Delegates from business and industry within the region will be eligible for funding support.

These events will begin in November 2010 and run through to December 2011. Further announcements regarding details of the first six events will be made during July 2010.