Celebrating three years of impact with the Health Innovation Accelerator
Colleagues from across Greater Manchester’s health and care system came together on 18 June to celebrate the achievements of the Health Innovation Accelerator (HIA) programme – marking three years of innovation, collaboration and real-world impact on patients and communities.
The evening brought together partners from across the NHS, academia, industry and the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector to recognise the people and teams who have helped turn ideas into practical solutions that are improving lives across Greater Manchester.
With a packed programme including keynote speeches, an awards ceremony and networking, the event reflected on what has been achieved – and the partnerships that have made it possible.
A system built on partnership
Opening the evening, Professor Ben Bridgewater highlighted the importance of true partnership in delivering the programme’s success – bringing together organisations across sectors to work towards a shared goal.
That spirit of collaboration was echoed throughout the awards ceremony, where every nominee was recognised as a winner – reflecting the collective effort behind the programme’s achievements.
In his keynote, Warren Heppolette, Director of the Prevention Demonstrator at Greater Manchester Combined Authority, reinforced the unique strength of Greater Manchester’s approach:
“Greater Manchester is a place where the inconceivable can become routine.”
This sentiment was evident across the projects celebrated on the night, from pioneering diagnostics to innovations embedded directly into frontline community care.
Recognising everyone who made a difference
A key feature of the evening was the recognition that innovation at scale is never the work of individuals alone. Across all award categories, every person and team nominated was celebrated and awards were presented across a wide range of categories:
Award Categories & Nominees
- North West Ambulance Service
- By Gamers for Gamers
- Sam Mundy
- Anton King
- Astra Zeneca
- Health Innovation Manchester
- Caribbean and African Health Network
- Black Health Agency
- Winning Hearts and Minds
- Northenden General Practice
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
- Lipids Point of Care Testing Project
- NHS GM Data & IG Team
- Nuala Trace, Community Learning Curriculum Manager, Manchester Adult Education Service (MAES)
- Dr Nick Black
- Dr Binita Kane
- Troponin Project Team
- Bill Newman
- John McDermott
- Phil Jones
- Northenden General Practice
- Dr Aseem Mishra
- Dr Nick Black
- Caroline Dykeman
- Dr Jenny Hoyle
- North West Ambulance Service, Chest Pain Troponin Project
- Tameside ICFT Medicine & Urgent Care Directorate
- Lipids Point of Care Testing
- Dr Nick Black
- Sara Waplington
- Winning Hearts and Minds
- Prof Rick Body
- ASPIRE – Health Innovation Manchester
- Black Health Agency
- Caribbean and African Health Network
- Louise Scott
- Nicky Timmis
- Lauren Constable
- Wai Yin Society
- Tom Horner
- CKD
- LGBT Foundation
- Health Me Healthy Communities
- Russ Cowper
- Sugar Group
- Awakening Minds
- Caribbean and African Health Network
- Cornerstone
- Nicky Timmis
- Dr Nick Black
- Nana Acheampong
- Louise Scott
- Health Innovation Manchester Team
- Lipids Point of Care Testing
- Remi Victor
- Jenny Spiers
- Sarah Rickard
- Laura Rooney
- John Kane
- Dr Paula Bennett
- Simon Watts
- Daniel Zamora
- Sara Waplington
- Charlotte Patterson
- Oliver Street
- Nana Acheampong
- Dai Roberts
- Caribbean and African Health Network
- Black Health Agency
- Winning Hearts and Minds
- Remi Victor
- Caroline O’Donnell
- Emily Faulkner
- Miriam Chikumbanje
- Louise Scott
- John Kane
- Dee Waterhouse
- Hina Khan
- Caroline Dykeman
- TORCH Team Lung Screening
- Daniel McChrystal
- Adam Unsworth
- Helen Tomlinson
- Lynn McGinn, Abbott Afininion
- Roddy Burns, By Gamers For Gamers
- Gino Miele, Genedrive
- Karen Fox, Boehringer Ingleheim
Impact that reaches people and communities
Throughout the evening, a consistent theme emerged: innovation only matters when it improves lives.
Many of the projects recognised have focused on:
- Reaching underserved communities in trusted local settings
- Improving early diagnosis and prevention
- Embedding innovation into everyday clinical practice
- Strengthening patient voice and co-production
These approaches have helped remove barriers to care, improve outcomes and ensure that innovation is accessible and inclusive across Greater Manchester.
Looking ahead
The Health Innovation Accelerator has demonstrated what is possible when partners come together with a shared purpose: to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and deliver innovation that works in the real world.
As Greater Manchester continues to lead the way in health innovation, the legacy of the HIA programme will continue to shape future work, ensuring that in this city region, the inconceivable really can become routine.
