NORTH WEST COAST RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AWARDS
2025 winners
Scroll right to view all images
The awards recognise the best innovators and researchers in health and care in Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and South Cumbria.
They are the only such event of their kind in the North West Coast and are hosted by Health Innovation North West Coast and Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast (ARC NWC) – and attracted more than 100 entries in 10 categories.
Special guest Professor Sir Stephen Powis, National Medical Director at NHS England, said: “It’s crucial that we embrace innovation as the key to improving outcomes for our patients and addressing challenges.
“The range of enterprise and creativity highlighted this evening shows that the innovative spirit is flourishing in the North West Coast. Health Innovation North West Coast and the wider Health Innovation Network have a vital role in marshalling that energy to help deliver the 10-Year Health Plan.”
The event took place at The Royal College of Physicians, The Spine in Liverpool, hosted by BBC TV North West and Breakfast presenter Roger Johnson.
The awards this year featured three new categories:
Capacity Building in Research Award, sponsored by ARC NWC, rewarded work that builds capacity for individuals or organisations to conduct high-quality research.
Two new Industry Collaboration awards, covering primary and secondary care, were sponsored by Health Innovation North West Coast. These highlight outstanding collaborations between the NHS and industry in the primary and secondary sectors.
Capacity Building in Research Award
Organisation: Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Project: Transforming Social Care: Katy Cleece's Leadership in Research Capacity Building
Katy Cleece, a social worker at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, has advanced social care research through leadership in RaCES projects, mentoring, and inclusive initiatives. She fosters collaboration between practitioners and service users, empowering professionals with research skills and co-producing impactful resources to improve social care outcomes.
Industry Collaboration Award – Primary Care
Organisation: NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board and Cancer Alliance; Cyted Health; Health Innovation North West Coast
Project: CYTOPRIME2 Collaboration Delivers Triumph in Early Diagnosis
The triumphant CYTOPRIME2 project has demonstrated exemplary collaboration between Cyted Health and the NHS in Lancashire & South Cumbria. The project team exceeded their goals, delivering desperately-needed early diagnosis of oesophageal conditions for patients, as well as positive feedback from both patients and NHS staff.
Industry Collaboration Award – Secondary Care
Organisation: C2-Ai
Project: Ai-targeted prehabilitation and emergency admission avoidance
In a project within Cheshire and Merseyside C2-Ai have identified patients with an increased risk for post operative complications. Participants were included in either control or intervention group. Intervention group (with Surgery Hero) has demonstrated significant reduction in complications, better overall outcomes and savings of £680 per patient.
Innovation in Workforce Culture Award
Organisation: Innovation Team at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
Project: Empowering Teams to Innovate
Clatterbridge Cancer Centre foster a vibrant and innovative workforce culture to enhance patient care. Their 'Be Innovative' scheme encourages staff and patients to submit ideas, supported by the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity. Their strategy focuses on fostering innovation, nurturing new ideas, and supporting existing innovations to remain agile in healthcare.
Outstanding Contribution to Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Award
Organisation: The Creative Influencers and Liverpool Lighthouse
Project: When You Know: Childbirth in the asylum system
Creative Influencers are women with lived experience of childbirth in the asylum system. With Liverpool Lighthouse, they have raised awareness of the hidden challenges and risks facing mothers and babies through the film When You Know… Childbirth in the asylum system, training resources for health professionals and a module to train undergraduate midwives. When You Know… is a call to raise awareness, make change and is having an impact nationally.
Patient Safety and Care Improvement Award
Organisation: Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and the North West Neonatal Operational Delivery Network
Project: PArent co-Designed Drug INformation for parents / Guardians Taking Neonates home
Neonates are often discharged with small medication volumes, making them vulnerable to dosing errors. The transition from the neonatal unit to home is stressful for parents, compounded by the anxiety of administering medications. PADDINGToN resources, developed collaboratively with parents, support safe and responsible medication management and administration at home.
Research Student of the Year Award
Individual: Donna Shrestha
University: Lancaster University
Donna is a final-year PhD student researching health inequalities and surgery. She has published in Hernia and BMJ Open. Her SPARC grant enabled collaboration with Manchester BRC on cancer inequalities. She has led conferences, supported broader research initiatives, and presented internationally.
Tackling Health Inequalities Award
Organisation: Liverpool Citizens Advice on Prescription
Project: Evaluating the health impact and cost effectiveness of Citizens Advice on Prescription, a whole system approach to mitigate poverty over the life course
Citizens Advice Liverpool has been working with the NHS since 2015 providing integrated anti-poverty and wellbeing support for over 9000 households per year. A three-year NIHR evaluation programme found consistent evidence, using different methods, that the service improved health and social outcomes for patients in the Core20 and Core20Plus categories.
Ruth Young Award for Research Implementation / Impact
Organisation: Liverpool John Moores University
Project: MAPSS School-Based Suicide Prevention Programme
With over 20 collaborators, including lived experience advisors, local schools, national charities and academics, MAPSS is the first of its kind in the UK. To date, ~800 students have been taught suicide prevention, and ~100 young people have been identified as at-risk and been referred to their schools for support.
The 2025 Sustainability Award
Organisation: Cheshire and Merseyside Greener Practice, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, Central Liverpool Primary Care Network, Vauxhall Health Centre and Brownlow Health
Project: Primary care sustainability achievements of the Central Liverpool team
This year, primary care sustainability in Cheshire & Merseyside has grown exponentially through collaboration. The C&M Greener Practice co-chair has driven efforts across NHS levels: ICB (10 pilot projects), PCN (deprescribing, air quality, prevention), and practice (Green Impact for Health Toolkit bronze award, gardens).
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR WINNERS