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Healthcare innovators from across the UK came together online for the Medipex NHS Innovation Awards and Showcase 2026, supported by Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber.

The event celebrated the outstanding achievements of NHS staff who go above and beyond to improve patient care and outcomes through innovation.

There were 12 finalists from 24 NHS trusts across the competition’s four NHS-led categories, and for the first time, five finalists in a new category, ‘Industry-led innovations to address patient safety challenges’.

Sophie Bates, Workstream Lead Commercial Support and Economic Growth, at Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, said:

“We were pleased to be involved in the Medipex NHS Innovation Awards, which continue to showcase an impressive range of projects and the exceptional talent and dedication of the NHS workforce. Each year, the awards highlight the creativity and commitment driving meaningful improvements in patient care outcomes and experience.

This year, we contributed by delivering an interactive workshop focused on supporting innovators to strengthen their ideas and progress them towards real-world implementation. The session aimed to provide practical guidance on addressing common barriers to innovation adoption. It also created a space for participants to share experiences, ask questions, and gain insight from peers and subject matter experts working across the health and care system.”

The event included interactive breakout sessions covering paediatric health technology, digital health regulation, innovation adoption and common health technology development challenges, delivered by Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber, the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Paediatrics and Child Health, Medilink, and NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Long Term Conditions (Devices for Dignity).

A keynote address was provided by Joanna Calvert, Senior Programme Manager at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), who shared insights into the NIHR Life Sciences Industry Hub, a new initiative to improve and increase commercial clinical trials.

The winners were:

Improved Treatments, Therapies and Rehabilitation – Sophie Bradshaw, Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, for SOBS: A New Model for Integrated Obesity and Bariatric Care.

Process and Systems Innovations – Dhanushan Gnanendran, York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for SCOre: Targeted Enhanced Bowel PrEparation Distribution.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Improve Patient Outcomes – Anna Beattie, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for Personalised and Precision Medicine in Patients with Inherited Lipid Disorders.

Delivering Benefits Through Diagnosis and Screening – Robert Tidswell, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for RespiraFibre: Next-Generation Breathing Monitoring to Improve Patient Care.

Industry-Led Innovations to Address Patient Safety Challenges – Dr Ioannis Gkouzionis, Aisthesis Medical Ltd, for VIOSync SPI@AI Digital Twin for 48-Hour Sepsis Prediction.

Medipex CEO Lindsay Georgopoulos said:

“Once again, the judging panel was incredibly impressed by the calibre of applications and the breadth of innovation showcased in this year’s competition. A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to enter, and congratulations to all of this year’s finalists and winners.”

Further information about all finalists and winners can be found at www.medipexawards.co.uk/finalists