BHRUT annual report 2009 - Barking Havering and Redbridge ...

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Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
Celebrating our people
Innovations
The Trust has a long history of success in innovation -
with staff regularly recognised for developing groundbreaking
techniques and inventions to improve
healthcare.
In 2009 we were named as Innovative Trust of the
Year for submitting the highest number of ideas to
NHS Innovations in London.
Many of our doctors were also shortlisted or awarded
prizes for their individual ideas. These included a
cerebral aneurysm catheter system allowing greater
control in brain surgery and a web-based handover
system to increase efficiency and cut risk when
patients move from one doctor to another.
Being named Innovative Trust of the Year allowed us a
£25,000 prize to establish our own in-house
competition.
A Dragons’ Den-style Innovations Challenge was
won by Manoj Srivastava (pictured below).
Two neurosurgeons also won a coveted award for
innovation.
Harith Akram and Ian Low invented and developed
a positioning aid which helps physicians treat patients’
brains.
A stereotactic frame is attached to a patient’s head
using pins to keep it in a fixed position while they
receive treatment.
The positioning aid invented by Mr Low and Mr
Akram holds the frame in place and allows minute
adjustment, so it can be fitted more quickly and
accurately than ever before.
Using their new invention the frames - which are
regularly used around the world - can be fitted in just
ten minutes and by only one member of staff.
Previously it would have taken two or three members
of staff significantly longer.
The pair were awarded the Cutlers’ Surgical Prize
and the Clarke medal at the annual Surgical Award
Dinner (pictured below).
Celebrating our people