St George’s awarded three innovation grants at prestigious Innovation and Diffusion Awards
The awards are hosted by the Health Innovation Network (HIN) and highlight the very best in health, care and education, and support the spread and adoption of innovations across local communities in south London.
The ceremony took place on 3 November with awards presented by health and science writer Vivienne parry OBE.
The three projects from St George’s that were awarded grants were:
- An evaluation of the impact and success of the Living Well After Stroke group in Wandsworth: A new model for a community based stroke secondary prevention group
This was led by Gill Cluckie. This project will evaluate the Living Well After Stroke group in Wandsworth. This recently developed group has been piloted with four cohorts of patients and aims to improve participants’ health, wellbeing and confidence in managing their stroke risk factors. The group is facilitated collaboratively and encourages peer to peer interaction and carer involvement. The project is a collaboration between the stroke service and the Wandsworth community neurorehabilitation team led by Rachel Sibson.
- Getting over the Bump: A collaborative project between maternal medicine midwives and occupational therapists enabling increased independence in childcare roles for expectant mothers with physical and/ or sensory impairments
The maternity unit at St George’s assists nearly 5000 women to give birth every year. Approximately 70 of these women have pre-existing physical and/or sensory impairments, and there is currently a health and wellbeing gap in services for them. This project aims to offer an early intervention through the development of an innovative and unique early screening service, including a collaborative antenatal assessment by a midwife and an occupational therapist.
- Project GROW A collaboration between the University of Roehampton and Bernadette Kennedy, Head of Integrated Falls and Bone Health Service
This project establishes and tests a new intergenerational falls prevention gardening programme to improve physical activity levels, and health and wellbeing in older people at risk of falling.
Wandsworth Integrated Falls and Bone Health Service provides an evidence-based falls prevention exercise programme, but each year around 500 of 1800 patients decline to take part or do not continue to exercise. This study seeks to address this efficiency gap by developing a gardening programme as an alternative to traditional exercise. In a preparation period from January to April 2017 it will create an age appropriate gardening site at Growhampton, Roehampton University’s gardening project. Following on from this, from May to August 2017 a falls prevention gardening group will be implemented and evaluated.
A huge well done to all three teams.
