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Thriving business environment great backdrop for 3rd Food West Africa event

West Africa’s largest food and beverage exhibition returns to Landmark Centre in Lagos

Lagos, Nigeria, 05 March 2018: The third edition of Food West Africa – the largest B2B food and beverage industry platform in West Africa - is returning to the Landmark Centre in Lagos, Nigeria from 8 – 10 May 2018. As Nigeria continues to dominate the retail sector in Sub Saharan Africa, Food West Africa organisers Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, the worlds leading publishing and exhibitions company, expect the trade event to attract more than 4,400 industry professionals from 25 countries looking to make new wholesale, retail and food service contacts in the industry.

Spanning more than 3,000 sqm of exhibition space, Food West Africa will host +100 local and international exhibitors showcasing exciting new F&B products, services and equipment from across the globe. In addition, two new country pavilions have been announced for the 2018 edition of the show – India and Pakistan.

The Indian food and grocery market is the world’s sixth largest, with retail contributing 70% of the sales. Similarly, consumer industry growth in Pakistan is ranked number three worldwide.

The Nigerian wholesale and retail industry, which accounts for 16.7% of GDP, remains a lucrative investment opportunity on the back of a large and rising population with a rapidly increasing rate of urbanisation. Nigeria has also seen the development of a market for luxury goods.

The country’s burgeoning middle class is expected to have consumer spending in excess of $25 billion by 2020. According to a KPMG report titled “Fast Moving Consumer Goods in Africa”, the FMCG sector on the continent stands to benefit immensely. With food, always being a necessity, there’s an increase from basic staple foods to a wide range of products.

According to Ryan Sanderson, Exhibition Director, Food West Africa: “Nigeria’s household market is experiencing strong urbanisation, creating good opportunities for many sectors, particularly fast-moving consumer goods.

Now in its third year, Food West Africa has firmly demonstrated its effectiveness as a medium for regional and international companies to raise their profile in this competitive industry sector. As well as promoting supply chain partnership, along with imports and exports, the event is a must-attend for F&B industry professionals from Nigeria and wider Western Africa looking to capitalise on the best opportunity in the industry.”

Bestway, the largest independent cash and carry operator in the United Kingdom, and supply partner to over 70,000 independent retailers and 40,000 catering and foodservice operators, has also confirmed that they will be exhibiting at Food West Africa 2018 once again.

With a UK turnover of £2.5 billion and a comprehensive logistical infrastructure, the company has the scale, purchasing power and expertise to help their customers compete in an ever-changing food and drink sector.

Once again, local representation from Nigerian companies is strong with key exhibitors such as Just Food Limited, ABX Food, AgroNigeria, Graceco, and Sona Agro Allied Food Industries present for the three-day event. Education is high on the agenda at Food West Africa 2018 with a two-day free-to-attend conference that will focus on current issues in food supply chain management.

“The conference has been crafted to determine challenges and help improve current systems and procedures in doing business in the West African F&B industry. All industry segments will be represented - from domestic and international large-scale food companies, governments, local agencies and associations - to give their insights into improved technologies and advanced measures to consolidate and implement best practice in food distribution retail in West Africa,” commented Sanderson.

The event continues to enjoy firm support and backing from the Association of Food Vendors in Nigeria (AFVN), the National Agency for Food and Drug (NAFDAC) and NASON.

The show is open from 10:00 – 18:00 on Tuesday 8 May and Wednesday 9 May, and from 10:00 – 17:00 on Thursday 10 May. Visitor registration is free via the website prior to the show opening. During the show days, a fee of N2,000 is charged.  For more information, please visit: www.food-westafrica.com

Nigeria food exhibition Food the drink exhibition 2018 Food Trade Fair Nigeria Africa Food Manufacturing

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MEDLAB Asia Pacific returns to Singapore for its 5th edition

More than 4,000 medical laboratory and healthcare industry professionals expected to attend MEDLAB Asia and Asia Health at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre

Singapore, 5 March 2018: Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, the region’s leading healthcare exhibitions organiser, has announced that the MEDLAB Asia Pacific Exhibition & Congress will be returning to the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre in Singapore on 2 – 4 April 2018. Now in its fifth year, MEDLAB Asia Pacific will provide a platform for leading companies to showcase current technologies and clever innovations in the field of laboratory and diagnostics. MEDLAB Asia Pacific is co-located with Asia Health, a trade exhibition for medical equipment, products, services and technologies hosting more than 250 international companies across 6,500sqm of exhibition space, including 11 dedicated country pavilions including Austria, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA. Both specialist trade shows combined bring over 4,000 medical laboratory and healthcare under one roof. Now firmly established as the region’s premier B2B business and educational platform for the medical laboratory industry, MEDLAB Asia Pacific continues to enjoy the support of a large number of key healthcare federations and associations across the region including The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, Singapore Society of Pathology, College of Pathologists, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia, Indonesian Association of Clinical Pathologist and Laboratory Medicine, Singapore Society of Haematology, College of American Pathologists, Philippine Society of Pathologists, Inc., Philippine Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Philippine Society of Microbiology, Indonesian Association of Clinical Chemistry, Society of Infectious Disease Singapore, and Society of Cytology Singapore and Diabetes Singapore. Tom Coleman, Group Exhibitions Director, MEDLAB Series, said: “MEDLAB Asia Pacific plays a key role in our global MEDLAB Series of events and has quickly become one of the most important medical laboratory and healthcare trade shows in the Asia Pacific region for manufacturers, services providers, and dealers and distributers attending from across the globe. The success of the show as a business and educational platform is highlighted by the continued level of support that has been shown leading regional and global medical associations over the years.” In line with Informa’s motto of “Exhibition with Education”, MEDLAB Asia Pacific Congress will feature a multi-track, fully accredited conference programme providing unparalleled education from more than 100 expert speakers offering management solutions to help labs excel. “Supported by The Academy of Medicine, Singapore and accredited by Singapore Medical Council, the congress offered 15 CME-accredited conferences covering a range of topics including Laboratory Management, Clinical Chemistry, Haematology & Blood Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Point of Care Testing, Cytology, Molecular Diagnostics, Laboratory Informatics, Cardiac Markers, Lab Testing: Obs Gyne & Women’s Health, Lab Testing & Management: Diabetes, Obs Gyne & Women’s Health, Gynae-Oncology, Diabetes Management and Antimicrobial Resistance.” commented Coleman. The show is open from 09:30 – 17:00 on Monday 2 April, Tuesday 3 April and Wednesday 4 April. Visitor registration is free via www.medlabasia.com

-Ends- Notes to Editor About MEDLAB Asia Pacific & Asia Health: For more information, please visit: www.medlabasia.com About Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions: For more information, please visit www.informalifesciences.com For Media Enquiries: Anju Hanish (Not to be published) Marketing Manager anju.hanish@informa.com +971 (0) 4 4072749

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Asia Pacific healthcare market on trajectory for strong growth

MEDLAB Asia Pacific Exhibition & Congress - the region’s premier B2B healthcare and medical laboratory business platform - returns to Singapore for its 5th edition

Singapore, 5 March 2018: MEDLAB Asia Pacific Exhibition & Congress - Asia’s largest annual meeting for the IVD and medical laboratory industry – will be returning to the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre in Singapore on 2 – 4 April 2018 for its 5th edition. Co-located with Asia Health, which launched in 2017, MEDLAB Asia Pacific will bring together more than 4,000 healthcare trade professionals with 250 of the world’s leading healthcare suppliers, manufacturers and service providers, all under one roof.

Spanning over 6,500sqm of exhibition space, MEDLAB Asia Pacific and Asia Health combined will feature 11 dedicated country pavilions including Austria, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA. The show will cover a full spectrum of medical and laboratory devices, equipment and services, including surgical instruments, diagnostic tools, equipment for emergency rooms and much more.

According to BMI Research, the Asia Pacific healthcare market is predicted to increase to US$ 2.3 billion as the expansion of universal healthcare across the region continues to boost the utilisation of medical services, even as the prevalence of chronic diseases rise in tandem with the shift in lifestyles and an ageing population.

“With such a high demand for cutting-edge healthcare technologies and improvements in patient services and care in the Asia Pacific region, MEDLAB Asia Pacific and Asia Health have become such eagerly waited events throughout the industry. The combined event attracts key buyers from all sectors including government representatives, hospitals, clinics, healthcare and lab professionals, dealers, investors, distributors, to mention a few.

The positive outlook for the industry means that the exhibition floor will be bustling with excitement as our exhibitors unveil some of the new ground-breaking and life-saving equipment and technologies that are revolutionising the market.” said Tom Coleman, Group Exhibitions Director, MEDLAB Series.

A much-anticipated highlight for 2018 is the Dealers & Distributors Wall where dealers and distributors are given the exclusive opportunity to connect directly with relevant exhibitors during the show and promote their business free-of-charge.

This year, Asia Health will be launching its Healthcare Procurement conference under the theme of ‘Recent Asian trends in buying for hospitals and other healthcare facilities’. The conference will cover key topics such as procurement regulations in the medical device industry, trends in the government’s purchasing of medical equipment and much more.

Visitors are invited to register for free via www.medlabasia.com. The show is open from 09:30 – 17:00 on Monday 2 April, Tuesday 3 April and Wednesday 4 April.

Laboratory exhibition in Singapore Asia Health exhibition Singapore health exhibition 2018 Medical fair Asia 2018

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Medical laboratory professionals set to benefit from 15 CME-accredited conferences at MEDLAB Asia Pacific Exhibition & Congress

More than 100 industry experts to highlight the latest medical laboratory and diagnostics trends and innovations

Singapore, 5 March 2018: The 5th edition of MEDLAB Asia Pacific Exhibition & Congress, leading B2B business and educational platform in the field of laboratory and diagnostics for the Asia Pacific region, will offer visitors the opportunity to attend a series of scientific conferences that will cover advancement in science, technology and application of various laboratory techniques to strengthen cooperation between lab and clinic interface.

Supported by The Academy of Medicine, Singapore and accredited by Singapore Medical Council, the 15 CME-certified conferences will empower delegates with the knowledge and skills to guarantee the fastest, safest and most accurate laboratory results in improving patient service and care.

During the three-day congress, which takes place from 2 – 4 April 2018 at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre in Singapore, a variety of carefully-designed sessions, panel discussions, demonstrations and interactive activities will enable delegates to network and share best practices with more than 100 regional and international experts who are champions of laboratory medicine in the Asia Pacific.

The congress will host 11 dedicated laboratory tracks: Laboratory Management, Clinical Chemistry, Haematology & Blood Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Point of Care Testing, Cytology, Molecular Diagnostics, Laboratory Informatics, Cardiac Markers,  Lab Testing: Obs Gyne & Women’s Health and Lab Testing & Management: Diabetes.

During these sessions, delegates will able schooled in a wide variety of key topics including the role of the laboratory director, 4th generation sequencing, updates in assays to improve skills in test accuracy, digital pathology, and the evaluation of current and future biomarkers, to name a few.

Due to the expanding role of laboratory medicine, the meeting is combined with other clinical specialties that will underscore the overarching influence of the laboratory in medical decision-making and treatment. New conferences in the MEDLAB Asia Pacific Congress portfolio are: Obs Gyne & Women’s Health, Gynae-Oncology, Diabetes Management and Antimicrobial Resistance.

“The advent of groundbreaking diagnostic solutions is gaining pace across the region. By introducing new medical tracks from key specialties that interact with the laboratory, the 2018 MEDLAB Asia Pacific Congress will provide the latest evidence-based research into diagnosis and treatment as well as enhance cooperation between laboratory professionals and clinicians to enable the best possible patient outcomes.” said Rejoy Penacerrada, Senior Conference Producer, MEDLAB Asia.

MEDLAB Asia Pacific 2018  is supported by a large number of key healthcare federations and associations across the region including The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, Singapore Society of Pathology, College of Pathologists, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia, Indonesian Association of Clinical Pathologist and Laboratory Medicine, Singapore Society of Haematology, College of American Pathologists, Philippine Society of Pathologists, Inc., Philippine Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Philippine Society of Microbiology, Indonesian Association of Clinical Chemistry, Society of Infectious Disease Singapore, and Society of Cytology Singapore and Diabetes Singapore.

Held alongside the congress is the MEDLAB Asia Pacific exhibition - a platform for leading companies from across the globe to showcase current technologies and innovations in the field of laboratory and diagnostics to an expected 4,000 visitors.

MEDLAB Asia Pacific is also co-located with Asia Health, a trade exhibition for medical equipment, products, services and technologies hosting more than 250 international companies and bringing together the world of medical laboratory and healthcare under one roof.

Registration for the MEDLAB Asia Pacific Congress is now open via www.medlabasia.com.

Medical laboratory conferences 2018 Lab Asia 2018 CME accredited laboratory conferences CME accredited clinical conferences Medical fair Asia 2018

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Importance of clinical testing highlighted during MEDLAB 2018

• The MEDLAB Congress provides industry professionals with 10 laboratory and 7 clinical CME accredited conferences, to bridge the gap between laboratories and clinicians • Laboratory testing has a major impact on patient healthcare and safety

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 08 January 2018 – MEDLAB – The largest attended expo worldwide will be taking place between 5th and 8th February 2018. The MEDLAB Exhibition welcomes more than 600 exhibitors and 25,000 attendees, giving the opportunity for leading laboratories and manufacturers to showcase their products and services, and initiate business opportunities in the vigorously growing healthcare market in the Middle East. Accompanying the exhibition, is a 17 CME-accredited Congress, discussing the importance of clinical laboratory testing in the delivery of quality healthcare, the new advancements in technology, and focusing on bridging the gap between clinicians and laboratory professionals towards a more patient-centric care.

Tom Coleman, Group Exhibition Director of MEDLAB Series stated: “Lab tests guide over 70 percent of medical decisions and personalised medicine, opening new windows to modern-day healthcare. At this year’s MEDLAB conference, we discuss how a talented pool of pathologists, biochemists, medical laboratory scientists, and other highly skilled medical staff can add value to improve the quality of the patient diagnostics and overall healthcare system.”

At the Congress, leading medical practitioners discuss the increasingly important role clinical laboratory professionals play in today’s healthcare system, from early detection and diagnosis to customised treatment plans based on the patient’s unique genetic structure. Laboratory testing is key to improving patient care and the quality of services provided.

Dr. Nader Lessan, Consultant Endocrinologist at the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre and Chair of Endocrinology conference at MEDLAB 2018, stated: "Most and perhaps all medical specialties rely on biochemical and other laboratory disciplines in reaching correct diagnoses. This is even more crucial in Endocrinology where correct course of action directly depends on biochemical and hormonal results.  Conditions such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and of course, diabetes are common examples.  Less common examples include acromegaly, Cushing Syndrome and phaochromocytoma; a close relationship between the laboratory and the clinician is pivotal to patient management”.

The process of laboratory testing includes a laboratory technologist or nurse collecting the patient’s sample of blood, tissue and/or other biological matter, which is then sent on to the laboratory where it is uniquely identified and examined to derive meaningful results for doctors. The laboratory testing process forms the basis of many other processes, including diagnosis and treatment, and therefore, it is of utmost importance to continuously improve the process and stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and advancement in the industry to better serve our patients today.

Carlo Kaabar, Director of Laboratory Services and Outreach at the American Hospital Dubai and Chair of the Laboratory Management conference at MEDLAB 2018, stated: “Today there are several laboratory tests that are far more accessible to patients than ever before. Advances in science and technology have enabled emerging laboratory tests to determine whether patients will respond to prescribed drugs prior to beginning therapy, ensuring that the first treatment patients receive, is the right one.”

Dr. Najat Rashid, Chief of Laboratory Services at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City Ajman, Ministry of Presidential Affair and Chair of the Clinical Chemistry conference at MEDLAB 2018, Stated: “It is critical for the healthcare community to raise awareness on the importance of clinical tests in order for them to reach their full potential and combat public health issues. In addition, policies and regulations must continue to be adopted to encourage innovation and facilitate patient access to tests while ensuring that the tests are safe and effective.”

As an anticipated result of the rapid expansion of the laboratory medicine, MEDLAB 2018 combines this meeting with other clinical specialities in an ideal platform which will underscore the overarching influence of laboratory medicine in healthcare.  

www.medlabme.com

medical laboratory exhibition MEDLAB Exhibition Scientific International Exhibitions Dubai Laboratory and Diagnostics Congress

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GCC to drive innovation and leadership at the region’s most influential healthcare and medical laboratory events

Arab Health and MEDLAB conferences to kick off 2018 healthcare agenda

• Arab Health – the largest gathering of healthcare and trade professionals in the MENA region – will welcome visitors from 29 January – 1 February 2018 • The exhibition will feature new zones and 19 accredited conferences to enhance attendee experience • MEDLAB – the leading global laboratory and diagnostics exhibition – to take place from 5 – 8 February, and now features a dedicated Obstetrics and Gynaecology Zone • The MEDLAB Congress will provide industry professionals with 10 laboratory and 7 clinical CME accredited conferences, to bridge the gap between laboratories and clinicians

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 22 November 2017 – Arab Health – the largest gathering of healthcare and trade professionals in the MENA region – and MEDLAB – the leading global laboratory and diagnostics exhibition – are set to welcome visitors from 29 January – 1 February 2018 and 5 – 8 February 2018, respectively.

Exhibitors will present the latest technology and innovation in the medical field, providing the ideal platform for industry professionals to network, attend specialised sessions and participate in Continuing Medical Education (CME) accredited conferences available at both events. Both Expos will take place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Arab Health 2018 In its 43rd edition, Arab Health will welcome over 4,200 exhibiting companies and 103,000 attendees from over 150 countries. 2018 will see the introduction of new experience zones and conferences, further enhancing the visitor experience.

The Personal Healthcare Technology Zone is a new feature for the 2018 show, where exhibitors will display the latest in “Smart” Healthcare Technology that connects patients to physicians and hospitals/clinics. With diseases such as diabetes and obesity becoming increasingly prevalent, Smart Personal Healthcare devices have the potential to help patients and clinicians to monitor these conditions, as well keep track of fitness, blood pressure and even sleep quality.

“With wearable technology becoming an essential part of our daily lifestyle, the Personal Healthcare Technology Zone brings an essential element to the exhibition this year. Smart Personal Healthcare devices will bring the latest technologies to the forefront,” commented Dave Panther, VP of Global Sales, Informa, the organisers of Arab Health.

New conference topics will be introduced in 2018, including; Connected Care, Family Medicine, Obesity, Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Hypertension, Anaesthesia, Respiratory Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Dental and Pharmacotherapy.

MEDLAB 2018 As the largest laboratory expo worldwide, MEDLAB stems from 15 years of growth alongside the MENA region's most influential healthcare platform, Arab Health. Moving into its second year as a stand-alone show given its vigorous growth, this annual laboratory meeting is set to welcome over 600 exhibitors and more than 25,000 attendees from over 130 countries.

As an all-encompassing event affirming a multidisciplinary approach to lab management and diagnostics, MEDLAB is supporting the healthcare advancements in the region by bridging the gap between clinicians and laboratory professionals. The 2018 edition will see the introduction of 7 new tracks, including Endocrinology, Cardiology and Cardiac Markers, Oncology and Tumour Markers, Point-of-Care Testing, Obs-Gyne, and Antibiotic Use and Misuse, bringing the total number of CME-accredited multi-disciplinary conferences to 17. MEDLAB will also provide dedicated Workshops, hosted by leading manufacturers offering the best practice solutions for their areas of expertise.

“The success of MEDLAB as a standalone event last year underscores the overarching influence of laboratory medicine in healthcare. The Congress gives industry professionals the opportunity to meet and network with leading laboratorians from across the globe, whilst sharing their knowledge and learning about global best practices,” commented Tom Coleman, Group Exhibition Director, Informa, the organisers of MEDLAB series.

This year, the leading event for Obstetricians, Gynaecologists and fertility specialists, Obs-Gyne Exhibition and Congress, which has been running for nine consecutive years, will also have a dedicated zone alongside MEDLAB, providing the platform for the assessment of approaches and new technologies to over 2500 attendees. This fusion with MEDLAB will enable practitioners to better understand and read lab investigations to ultimately improve patient outcomes

Healthcare exhibition in the middle east Medical conferences dubai medical laboratory exhibition Medical laboratory conferences 2018

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EHI Awards recognise global digital exemplars Four global digital exemplar trusts among the 49 shortlisted entries for the only awards dedicated to healthcare IT, which are being co-located with the EHI Live conference and exhibition for the first time

London: Four NHS foundation trusts are in the running for a new award to recognise the best global digital exemplar of the year.

Cambridge University Hospitals, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals, Oxford University Hospitals, and Royal Berkshire NHS foundation trusts have been shortlisted in the new category of the EHI Awards 2017.

Teams from the four organisations will now attend a judging day on 30 October. In total, 49 individuals and organisations have been shortlisted in ten categories of this year’s awards, which are being co-located with the EHI Live conference and exhibition for the first time.

The awards will be presented on the first day of EHI Live 2017, which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 31 October and 1 November, with the presentation followed by a celebration drinks reception.

Lead judge Jonathan Wallace, Professor of Innovation at the School of Computing at Ulster University, said: “The EHI Awards 2017 are the only awards dedicated to healthcare IT. The EHI Awards have always attracted a strong set of entries reflecting the latest developments in health and care technology, and this year has been no exception.

“The judges have already enjoyed learning about some of the great projects that are going on across the UK to improve the efficiency and safety of healthcare, and to support frontline staff and patients. We now look forward to meeting the shortlisted entrants; and to seeing the winners presented with their awards at one of the highlights of this year’s EHI Live.”

The global digital exemplars programme was set up by NHS England following a review of NHS IT by US expert Professor Robert Wachter. Sixteen acute trusts and seven mental health trusts were announced as global digital exemplars last year, and eighteen acute trusts were named as ‘fast followers’ earlier this month.

The global digital exemplars and their fast followers will deploy the very latest IT themselves and develop a blueprint for further trusts to follow.

Cambridge University Hospitals, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals and Oxford University Hospitals NHS foundation trusts are all global digital exemplars. Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is Oxford’s fast follower, and entered the awards for its work on a cardiology system.

The other categories in this year’s awards are: chief clinical information officer of the year, chief information officer of the year, healthcare industry leader (a people’s choice award), best trust or health board of the year, best system or initiative adoption or roll-out, best mental health initiative, best nursing technology, best app for clinicians, and best app for patients and carers.

Five individuals, teams or projects have been shortlisted in each category. EHI Live is the UK’s leading event for healthcare IT, and will celebrate its tenth edition by incorporating the awards for the first time, to help celebrate success in the industry. Digital Healthcare Awards London ehealth community London Digital Healthcare IT event UK Global Digital Exemplar of the year

EHI Awards 2017: shortlist in full  

CCIO of the Year        

Dr Afzal Chaudhry - Renal consultant, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dr James Reed - Consultant forensic psychiatrist, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust

Dr Brendan O'Brien - Consultant clinical informatics specialist, Health and Social Care Board (NI)

Joe McDonald - Director, Great North Care Record

Rowan Pritchard-Jones - Consultant plastic surgeon, St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

CIO of the Year          

Darren McKenna - Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

David Walliker - Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust

Luke Readman - East London Health and Care Partnership

Martin Egan - NHS Lothian

Vikki Lewis - Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Healthcare Industry Leader - People's Choice Award      

Dr Claire Royston - medical director, Four Seasons Health Care

Dr John Steyn - GP, NHS Lothian

Kim Ryan - Staff midwife, National Maternity Hospital

Dr Russell Jones - Chorleywood Health Centre / Department of Computer Science, Brunel University

Sarah Jane Relf - e-Care/GDE operational lead, West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Best Global Digital Exemplar

Becoming a global digital exemplar with eHospital digital transformation - Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Digital Liverpool - Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust

Oxford GDE - Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust drives up standards with McKesson Cardiology - Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and McKesson

Imaging and Workflow Solutions (Change Healthcare)

Trust / Board of the Year        

Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust        

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust          

Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, CW+ Chelsea and Westminster NHS Health Charity, Digital Health.London Accelerator      

Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust      

Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust        

            Best System or Initiative Adoption / Roll-out        

Emergency Care Data Set - Royal College of Emergency Medicine / NHS Digital

E-Sepsis - Royal Liverpool University Hospital

PPM+ EHR solution - Aire Logic and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Online Primary Care - eConsult

Right First Time at Point of Care - Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

            Best Mental Health Initiative            

Reducing harm and empowering patients using a unique digital family intervention experience for patients with psychosis and schizophrenia - Healios

Innovative presentation of data to improve service user safety, reduce serious incidents and inform clinical caseload management - NAViGO Health and Social Care CIC

Online therapy - Headsted

Technology integrated healthcare management – Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Technology transformation at Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust – BigHand

            Best Nursing Technology    

CareClox - University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

Comprehensive nursing digital record roll out - Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust

EPR nursing documentation implementation - University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust

Opening the GATE (Generic Assessment Tool and Evaluation) for collaborative working - Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group, Liverpool City Council and Informatics Merseyside

V-Care - The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

            Best App for Clinicians        

BMJ Best Practice App - BMJ Best Practice in partnership with Box UK

DonorPath - NHS Blood and Transplant and Apadmi

Improving quality inspections through technology - North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and Perfect Ward

Morse: data on the move - NHS Western Isles and Cambric Systems

Vision Anywhere - Vision

            Best App for Patients and Carers        

Addressing NHS Demand: an avatar-based virtual nurse to facilitate self-assessment, self-care advice and signposting to NHS111 and other services - Sensely UK, Advanced Computer Software Group, West Midlands Integrated Urgent Care Alliance

Baby Buddy phone app for parents and parents-to-be - Best Beginnings

Health Help Now app – NHS Brent Clinical Commissioning Group

Hypertension plans and management - Health Fabric and Crown Medical Practice (Alexin Healthcare CIC)

MyCareCentric epilepsy solution - Epilepsy Care Alliance

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Keynote speakers unveiled for ehi LIVE 2017 Senior line-up announced for tenth edition of the UK’s leading healthcare IT event, which is co-located with the ehi AWARDS 2017 for the first time

London: Visitors to ehi LIVE 2017 will have the chance to hear how technology is shaping policy at the very top of the health service.

The keynote line-up for the show, which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 31 October and 1 November, has been announced, and includes Will Smart and Keith McNeil, NHS England’s first chief information officer and first chief clinical information officer.

Also speaking across the nine conference streams are Juliet Bauer, NHS England’s director of digital experience, Robert Varnam, director of GP development, Claire Murdoch, clinical lead for mental health, and Kenny Gibson, director of public health commissioning.

Jamie Hill, exhibition director from Informa Life Sciences, the business intelligence, publishing and events group behind the event, said: “We have been working with an advisory board to bring the very best and most relevant speakers to ehi LIVE 2017.

“We would like to thank our advisors – Dr Harpreet Sood, associate CCIO at NHS England, Dr Indra Joshi, clinical lead for digital urgent and emergency care at NHS England, and Dr Mark Davies, a non-executive director of the BMJ – for their input into what is going to be an exciting and thought-provoking conference.”

ehi LIVE is the UK’s leading event for healthcare IT, and this year it is celebrating its tenth edition. To mark the anniversary, the conference programme has been refreshed and revitalised.

Visitors will have more time to see the keynote speakers and case studies – while getting out onto the exhibition floor, where 150 companies will be showcasing their latest products and solutions.

The nine conference streams are anchored by the popular integration and interoperability strand, a new NHS Future Leadership Forum, and revamped CIO and CCIO roundtables.

Running alongside them will be one-day events on cyber security, imaging and diagnostics, acute and social care integration, mental health, primary care, and population health management.

Further keynote speakers include Dan Taylor, the head of cyber security at NHS Digital, and Dermot Ryan, programme director for HSCN, the network that will shortly start to replace N3.

In another development, the ehi AWARDS 2017 are being co-located with the show for the first time. The ehi AWARDS 2017 shortlist was announced on 27 September, and representatives of the 49 shortlisted individuals and organisations will make their way to Birmingham for a judging day on 30 October.

The winners will be announced at the show on 31 October, and will then celebrate their success at a drinks reception, ehi LATE, which should be an unparalleled opportunity for networking.

-ends-

About ehi LIVE 2017: ehi LIVE is the UK’s leading event for all aspects of healthcare IT and digital health. This year’s conference and exhibition takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 31 October and 1 November.

The conference is organised around nine streams, including roundtable events for CCIOs and CIOs, a renewed focus on mental health, primary care and population health management, and the hot topic of cyber security.

The exhibition will feature more than 150 companies, showcasing leading products and ideas that are shaping the future of the healthcare industry. Full details and registration on the ehi LIVE 2017 website: https://www.ehilive.co.uk/en/home.html

Digital Healthcare Conference UK ehealth community UK Digital Healthcare IT event UK EHI Live Awards

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ehi LIVE 2017, now in its tenth year as the leading event for the eHealth community, renews its partnership with Highland Marketing

One of the world’s largest events, conference and publishing organisations has renewed its relationship with Highland Marketing to support its leading healthcare IT show, ehi LIVE, and the ehi AWARDS 2017 London: Highland Marketing will be responsible for generating content to promote the event, and for managing the PR programme and media attendance.

This is a big year for ehi LIVE, a two-day conference and exhibition, which will be celebrating its tenth edition at the NEC in Birmingham on 31 October and 1 November.

The ehi AWARDS 2017, the only awards solely dedicated to celebrating success in the healthcare IT industry, will be co-located with the show for the first time.

This year’s judging panel is led by Professor Jonathan Wallace, Ulster University, who will be joined by fellow judges to assess and select the award winners on 30 October.

Panel members include: Anne Cooper, chief nurse, NHS Digital; Dr Harpreet Sood, associate CCIO, NHS England; Mark Garrick, director of medical directors’ services, University Hospital Birmingham; Adrian Byrne, director of informatics, University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust; Ben Moody, head of health and social care, techUK and Lyn Whitfield, director of strategy and content, Highland Marketing.

The awards will be presented at ehi LIVE on 31 October, the first night of the event; after which there will be a celebratory drinks reception, ehi LATE.

Solenne Singer, marketing director, Informa said: “Highland Marketing is known for its unrivalled knowledge of healthcare, and the healthcare IT market.

“That makes it the perfect partner to collaborate with us on communicating the value of ehi LIVE in its tenth year – and to promote the ehi AWARDS as they move into their new venue.

“Each year, we aim to deliver an even better experience both for delegates and exhibitors. Highland Marketing is ideally placed to communicate our message that ehi LIVE is the seminal platform to explore and understand the impact of eHealth strategies, of changes in technology, and how the delivery of healthcare services can be improved.

“Our aim also is to provide an environment where speakers, delegates and exhibitors can learn from each other’s knowledge and experience.”

Mark Venables, chief executive of Highland Marketing, said: “We have been long-term supporters of both ehi LIVE and the ehi AWARDS, so we will use our range and depth of knowledge of the healthcare IT marketplace to support this engagement.

“The ehi LIVE conference has always given visitors the chance to hear about the latest in NHS and digital policy, while the exhibition has provided the chance for delegates to see the very latest innovations.

“The co-location of the awards will mean that visitors will have the opportunity to celebrate the achievements and positive results when the NHS and suppliers work together.

“As ehi LIVE celebrates its tenth anniversary, we look forward to collaborating with Informa to help it become an even more valuable venue where the healthcare IT community meet.”

Highland Marketing is providing feature and interview content for the ehi LIVE 2017 website, is managing PR, and will invite and support journalists at the event. Highland Marketing will also be attending the show: and can be found at stand C50.

Digital Healthcare Conference UK ehealth community UK NHS digital conference Digital Healthcare devices

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Reset Your Career in the Healthcare Industry

The way that healthcare is delivered in the GCC is transforming. The private sector is now being incentivised through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to invest in the healthcare sector to accommodate the ageing population, the increase in chronic and lifestyle diseases and the introduction of an expanded national health insurance scheme in some GCC countries.

With nearly 350 hospital projects currently under various stages of development in the GCC region, and with the demand for hospital beds in the GCC is expected to grow at a 2.3% CAGR, from an estimated 101,797 in 2015 to 113,925 beds in 2020, this is the main driver for increasing the number of qualified allied healthcare professionals in the region.

Race to Attract the Best Talent

Employers across the healthcare delivery spectrum are scrambling to hire the right people, and to retain and train their existing pool of talent. As shortage of the healthcare workforce grows across the region, it is important to develop an effective talent acquisition strategy.

According to a recent survey by real estate portal GulfTalent, the healthcare industry in the GCC continues to have the highest percentage of recruitment with 68% of the surveyed firms reporting an increase in the headcount during 2015. As one Human Capital Director in the UAE-based hospital explains, “We are facing high employee turnover, because of so many new opportunities in the market and too few qualified candidates.”

How to Navigate The Job Market

So what should candidates looking to make a successful career change in the healthcare industry keep in mind when making the transition? According to employment website Monster.com, here are eight tips to keep in mind when navigating the healthcare job market:

• Think Ahead: Be ready for change at all times. Have you resume ready and be aware of emerging opportunities.

• Do Your Homework: Investigate what it would take to become qualified for your target job.

• Turn Setbacks Around: Being made redundant of loosing your job may prompt you to re-examine your career goals for the first time in years.

• Consider the Big Picture: Examine your career so far and decide what kind of new career would make you happy.

• Look Before You Leap: If you think you're interested in a specific field, you may want to try it out before you commit to it full-time.

• Network, Network, Network: Stay in touch with those who have supported you over the years, they can recommend or even hire you.

• Keep Your Options Open: Health professionals should have a career plan, but remain flexible when unexpected opportunities arise.

• Don't Beat Yourself Up: While you are in the midst of a career transition, don't forget to take care of yourself emotionally.

Be Prepared, Get Your Papers Ready

Here in the GCC, it is important for candidates to be aware of the documents and licenses needed to be able to work as a healthcare professional in this region. For example, those wishing to work in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) must obtain their license through Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Ministry of Health or Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD).  This can be done online via the Examination & Evaluation System (EES).

As of October 2015, healthcare professionals have been able to transfer their license from one facility to another without having to wait for the earlier six-month period. This gives them greater flexibility and will allow such professionals to switch to facilities with better perks or to a facility with greater demand for their services.  

Cut Out The Middle Man

For jobseekers looking for ways to fast track the recruitment process and to get their CV’s in front of the right people, the Healthcare Recruitment & Training Fair (HRTF 2017) at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) is the perfect platform to get noticed.

Running from 27-29 October 2017, the region’s only healthcare recruitment and training fair dedicated to matching hospitals, companies and governments with talented healthcare professionals, is set to welcome more than 100 recruiting companies who are ready to receive applications, hold face-to-face interviews and snap up the best healthcare (both clinical and non-clinical) professionals available in the market. Registration for jobseekers is free via https://www.healthrecruitmentfair.com/en/visit/register-to-visit-for-free.html

Medical Conference in UAE CME Accredited Medical Conferences Nursing Conference in Abu Dhabi Healthcare Jobs in Dubai Nursing Jobs in Dubai

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Recruitment fair returns to Abu Dhabi with more jobs and education for healthcare professionals

17 clinical and non-clinical conferences on offer at prestigious regional event

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: The region’s only dedicated healthcare recruitment and career development fair returns to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 27 – 29 October 2017 where hundreds of leading healthcare organisations, clinics and medical device companies will be looking to discuss career opportunities with the 10,000+ job seekers over the three day event. With a recent survey from Gulf Talent reporting that healthcare companies, including hospitals, have the second highest rate of jobs growth in the GCC, with 55% of firms planning headcount expansion, this positive trend is expected to drive recruitment activities at the show.

Organised by Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, the fourth edition of the Healthcare Recruitment & Training Fair looks set to be the largest yet with 17 healthcare conferences on offer to delegates. These include 11 CME-accredited clinical conferences and six business-oriented masterclasses designed to embrace the entire spectrum of healthcare in the UAE.

The conferences will be focused more on clinical specialties this year and include new fields such as metabolic syndrome, heart disease, ENT, wound care and respiratory diseases. Each track plans to cover advancements in science, technology, management techniques and clinical implementation which delegates can absorb and implement into their own career environment.

During the sessions there will be a range of seminars, panel discussions and interactive activities to complement the conferences. For example the metabolic syndrome conference will examine strategies for combating obesity and type 2 diabetes and feature talks by eminent healthcare professionals such as Dr Omar K Hallak, consultant interventional cardiologist at the American Hospital Dubai and Dr Hassan El-Tamimi, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

The wound care conference will be addressing the current state of wound care in the UAE and its increasing recognition as a specialist field. There will knowledgeable and in-depth discussions on diagnostic investigation and interpretation and speakers will share non-pharmacological methods to prevent wound complications and progression.

The six healthcare business conferences include a new hospital admin workshop hosted by the acclaimed trainer and motivational speaker Anne McDougall. The healthcare management conference will focus on the theme of strategically optimising value added services, and there will be top marketing strategists in attendance at the revamped social media and marketing conference to discuss how best to connect with the appropriate markets. Given the level of competition between healthcare providers in the Middle East, it is more vital than ever for institutions to set themselves apart from the competition.

What is more, delegates will be able to take advantage of some first-class networking opportunities and share best practice with industry experts and leaders, all while earning CME points. In addition to the new clinical conferences and free business and leadership conferences, there will be almost 1,000 onsite jobs made available by the 100 exhibiting international hospitals and organisations including positions for medical and non-medical professionals and roles in sales, marketing, HR and administration.

Tom Coleman, group exhibition director of Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, said: “This event is invaluable to anyone who works in the healthcare industry or those individuals from other industries looking for a more challenging career. There is a unique opportunity to meet key hiring personnel from the region’s major healthcare companies and leading hospitals. There is even the chance to pre-schedule face-to-face interviews at the event to make sure delegates’ time is spent productively. There is no substitute for meeting potential employers in the flesh.

“Of course, in addition to this, there is what Informa Life Sciences terms as an “exhibition with education” and our excellent onsite conferences and workshops underline this. It also presents that unique opportunity to network and share insights with fellow professionals.”

The strategic partner for this event is the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and gold sponsors include Al Zahira Hospital Dubai, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Passport USA and the Awazen Medical Center.

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MENA healthcare project pipeline valued at $55.2bn

• New developments expected to be announced at the Building Healthcare Innovation & Design Show, now co-located with Cityscape Global in 2017 • Merger will bring in the region's most influential decision makers in construction, design and development under one roof • Building Healthcare’s new congress format to offer 6 dedicated conferences under the theme “Starting with the End in Mind”

Dubai, UAE; 12 August 2017: As much as $55.2bn worth of healthcare projects are in the pipeline in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in 2017, with major new developments expected to be announced at the forthcoming Building Healthcare Innovation & Design Show.

According to the latest industry estimates, a total of 37 mega hospital projects are already underway in the Gulf region, worth about $28.2bn and are expected to add 22,500 hospital beds to existing capacity (Alpen Capital Healthcare Report). The rest of the year will be even more robust for the healthcare projects market, with major projects being undertaken throughout the region. In the UAE, some of the high-profile projects include Al Ain Hospital, Al Ain; Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi; Gulf Medical University Hospital, Ajman; Mediclinic Parview Hospital, Dubai and King's College Hospital, Dubai.

The MENA region’s premier healthcare build and design show, organised by Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions, the world’s leading publishing and exhibitions company, Building Healthcare Innovation & Design Show will be co-located with Cityscape Global for the 2017 edition of the show which will take place from 11-13 September at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The decision to merge the two independently successful trade shows comes as an effort to create one unified business platform for the full spectrum of the construction, design and development industries in the region.

More than 150 exhibiting companies and 3,800 participants are expected to attend Building Healthcare exhibition and conference to discuss new healthcare projects, best practice in design and construction and source new technologies and services that will maximise facility operations and improve patient experience.

The show, which will have its own area at Cityscape Global, is the only dedicated platform for professionals involved in the build, construction, design and innovation of healthcare facilities. Meanwhile, Cityscape Global 2017, also organised by Informa, is expected to attract more than 30,000 visitors and showcase 1,000 of ongoing and new real estate projects in the region.

Commenting on the decision to co-locate Building Healthcare with Cityscape Global, Dave Panther, Vice President of Sales at Informa said, “While Cityscape is a powerhouse when it comes to showcasing the best of what the region has to offer in terms of real estate, Building Healthcare does the same for the build, construction, design and innovation of healthcare facilities. By combining these two platforms, we can ensure that professionals from across the full spectrum of the industry will find everything they are looking for during the three-day exhibition and congress. We expect many new infrastructure developments and real estate projects to be announced during the show,” According to global property consultants JLL, who are the official content partners for Building Healthcare, it is not surprising that more real estate players in MENA are seeking to diversify into the healthcare sector.

“The healthcare sector offers the ability for real estate investors to participate in a growing market backed by the government, where long-term leases can be structured to major regional and international healthcare providers,” said Craig Plumb – Head of Research, MENA – JLL. “From a developer’s perspective, healthcare facilities can contribute to the overall attraction of residential communities and also comprises a potential source of demand for commercial space within office or retail projects. While major hospitals may be too specialist for many contractors, clinics and other less specialist medical uses are well within the capabilities of more general contractors.”

Building Healthcare attendees will also benefit from the new congress format offering six dedicated conference sessions under the theme “Starting with the End in Mind”. The free-to-attend congress provides integrated content addressing the challenges involved throughout the entire lifecycle of a healthcare facility: Vision, Invest, Design, Build, Equip and Manage.

Other new features include a full three-day seminar and workshop schedule that will examine ongoing projects in MENA region, discuss how to invest in new markets and assess case studies of planning, design, and construction that can be used in future projects.

Please visit www.buildinghealthcare-exhibition.com for more information about Building Healthcare Innovation & Design Show.

Building Healthcare Innovation & Design Show Building Healthcare Exhibition Construction of healthcare facilities Designing healthcare facilities Hospital construction Middle East healthcare project

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Regional healthcare industry is set for a major boost with return of Medic West Africa show

Latest equipment and technology to be showcase to thousands of professionals

Lagos, Nigeria, 14 August 2017: More than 300 leading healthcare companies will be joined by thousands of industry experts and professionals at Medic West Africa 2017 from 11-13 October – the largest and most prestigious event in the region. The event, organised by Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions and taking place at the Landmark Centre, Lagos, Nigeria, will showcase thousands of the latest healthcare, laboratory and IVD technology, products and services and will provide some exceptional networking opportunities for dealers and distributers, buyers, laboratory experts and clinicians.

Nigeria is Africa’s biggest economy with a GDP of $565.8 billion and also has its largest population of 182 million people, which is expected to double in 20 years. The country has many health challenges and to address these, the government is focusing on achieving universal health coverage and putting in place the necessary health structures. This will hopefully lead to creating and maintaining 260,000 jobs and greater pharmaceutical industry involvement. The costs for Primary Health Care of NGN 130 billion annually is expected to incentivise the private sector. Platforms such as Medic West Africa present a huge opportunity for global industry leaders, including manufacturers, dealers and distributors, to make inroads into the West African market.

Ryan Sanderson, Exhibition Director, Medic West Africa, said: “For industry suppliers there is a unique opportunity to showcase their latest products and equipment to thousands of potential buyers and increase market share. In fact, there are exhibitors from 32+ countries and will include such leading names as GE Healthcare, Erba Diagnostics, Swiss Biostast, Siemens, DCL Laboratory and Mindray. For industry professionals this is a chance to mingle and network with fellow specialists and healthcare end-users.”

There is solid backing for the event from many trade associations and government agencies such as the Nigerian Ministry of Health (MoH), the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria and the Quality in Healthcare in Nigeria (SQHN).

Dr Jide Idris, Honourable Commissioner of Health, Lagos State, Nigeria said about the event: “Medic West Africa is a platform that contributes to the development of healthcare professionals by exposing them to new equipment, technology and knowledge enrichment.”

Held alongside the exhibition will be three compelling leadership, business and educational conferences and free-to-attend masterclasses with CPD accreditation promoting stakeholder dialogue in areas of leadership and management affecting West African healthcare providers in both the public and private sector. The Leaders in Healthcare Conference in association with the Nigerian MoH will be up first on Wednesday 11 October. This will be followed by the Healthcare Finance Workshop in association with the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria on Thursday 12 October and the Quality in Healthcare Conference in association with the Society for Quality in Healthcare in Nigeria (SQHN) on Friday 13 October.

According to Sanderson: “The congress is committed to keeping healthcare stakeholders updated on worldwide healthcare management thinking and experience while creating a forum for regional networking. It also highlights clinical specialties which give clinicians an opportunity to benchmark their skills and hear from some of the region’s leading clinicians.” Medic West Africa is free to attend for healthcare and trade professionals. For more information, please visit www.medicwestafrica.com

Medic West Africa Healthcare Conference in Nigeria Healthcare in Nigeria laboratory and IVD technology Nigeria Healthcare Federation of Nigeria

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FIME MOVES FROM MIAMI TO ORLANDO

It was recently announced by Informa that the location for FIME 2017 has been moved from the Miami Beach Convention Center to the Orange County Convention Center/West Concourse, Orlando, Florida, and the show dates were changed slightly so that FIME 2017 will take place on August 8–10.

HCB News sat down with Dave Panther, Vice President Global Sales, from Informa to find out how this change would impact exhibitors and attendees alike.

What prompted the change in venue for FIME 2017?

This year marked the first year that Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions forayed into the U.S. healthcare exhibitions market and the success of FIME 2016 generated substantial value for our customers and partners by driving further product innovation and deeper engagement in this specific markets.

With 25% growth in visitor numbers in 2016 and 85% of exhibitors already re-booking their booths for next year’s show, FIME 2017 is set to be the largest show to date; both in terms of number of participants as well as the expansion of innovation and technology offering and clinical education.

As the show continues to grow under Informa’s stewardship, our focus now is to ensure that FIME continues to deliver on its promise as the largest medical trade fair in the biggest medical device marketplace. With the Miami Beach Convention Centre undergoing a $515 million complete renovation over the next three years, the decision has been taken to relocate FIME to its temporary home at the Orange Country Convention Centre in Orlando in order the accommodate the increasing scope of the show.

The Orange County Convention Centre is a world-class event facility and will serve as the perfect venue for FIME as it continues to welcome attendees from across Northern and Latin America. Orlando has two major airports within city limits and is well connected to both the traditional FIME audience and the new audiences the show hopes to attract in the coming years. We are also excited to form new partnerships and to knowledge-share with the vast medical community in Orange County adding to the exceptional mix of specialties of the 20,000 attendees from across the region.

Are you planning on bringing FIME back to Miami Beach when the work on the convention center there is completed?

Once the renovation at the Miami Beach Convention Centre has been completed, the venue will position itself among the most prominent and advanced convention centers of the world. The intention is for Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions’ to bring FIME back to Miami in 2019 once the renovation work is complete so that we can fully utilize the 150,000 sq. ft. of new space at the Miami Beach Convention Centre.

A lot of companies had already booked their booth space for FIME 2017. How will you make sure people get an equivalent space in Orlando? And when will they be notified?

As previously mentioned, 85% of exhibitors who at the 2016 show actually made their re-bookings for 2017 during the show. This is a fantastic indication of the buoyancy of the healthcare trade show operations in the U.S as well as the confidence in the strength of the healthcare market as a whole.

Loyal companies and country pavilions that have already re-booked their booths will be given priority with the location of their booths at the new venue. The biggest advantage of the Orange Country Convention Centre is that we will now be able to accommodate all of the exhibitors in one interconnected event space, ensuring easy way finding and facilitating more interaction between our exhibitors and participants.

Are there any new initiatives that you plan to roll-out at FIME 2017?

FIME’s primary focus will remain across four industry sectors: medical technology, medical products & supplies, medical services, and medical equipment. However, the increase in event space at the new venue will allow us to expand the clinical education offering in line with Informa’s motto of ‘Exhibition with Education” providing an unrivalled knowledge-sharing and business networking platform for healthcare trade professionals in the region. Healthcare professionals from across Latin and North America will be able to visit FIME for all of their medical educational needs.

We are also excited to announce the launch of MEDLAB Americas during FIME 2017 as the newest addition to our MEDLAB Series — the world’s largest series of global medical laboratory and IVD trade shows. MEDLAB Americas, which will be integrated into FIME, will feature thousands of cutting-edge medical laboratory products and services from around the world, as well as featuring accredited conference tracks focusing on bridging the gap between test utilisation and test interpretation, concentrating on the correlation of roles between laboratory professionals and clinicians.

Also new for FIME 2017 will be the 3D Medical Printing Zone where visitors can discover many of the innovative technologies that are revolutionising healthcare. Our partners and participators will be showcasing their products and demonstrating the possibilities that 3D printing can achieve for healthcare. Researchers in Florida have long been pioneering the use of 3D printed technology in medicine so we are excited to be able to showcase all the amazing advances being made right on our doorstep, here in Florida.

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STAND AND DELIVER? RANSOMWARE IN THE NHS

Ransomware is the cyber security issue that has really hit the headlines over the past few years. Unfortunately, some of those headlines have involved the NHS.

Several trusts have been forced to take key systems offline after ransomware attacks, taking a big hit to their reputations and waiting lists in the process. Surveys by security companies indicate that much more have had to repel borders.

Jason Allaway, vice president the UK and Ireland for one of these companies, RES, says: “Previously, UK healthcare was not seen as a target because there were bigger financial rewards [for hackers] elsewhere.

“But hackers have started to realise that healthcare data is valuable and that hospitals may have to pay up because they cannot risk their patients’ wellbeing.”

What is ransomware?

The idea behind ransomware is surprisingly simple. Hackers find a way to infect a computer or electronic device with malware that either encrypts its data and holds it hostage until a ransom is paid or, less frequently, threatens to make the data public until the same thing happens.

Typically, the attack is carried out using a Trojan; a program that looks legitimate but isn’t. Often, the Trojan will sneak in via an email link or attachment that tempts people to click.

Ransomware has been around for a long time, but it really came to public attention around 2013, with variants such as CryptoLocker and CryptoWall.

More recent, and more destructive, variants include Locky which came to prominence in 2016 and which spreads itself through email links posing as Microsoft Office files or compressed folders, and Globe, which has ‘fun’ making references to a series of movies called Purge.

David Emm, a senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, says: “Ransomware has been around for about ten years, but we really saw it start to ramp up about three years ago. Until then, they [hackers] were just throwing it out and seeing what happened.

“But then they found that there was money to be made, and we started seeing more diversification, more sophistication, and more targeting. They realised that there was more money to be made from organisations than individuals, and started going after them.”

Over there

In healthcare, ransomware initially looked like a US problem, as a wave of American hospitals were hit through late 2015 and early 2016. The highest profile was probably Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles.

On 5 February 2016, it lost access to its computer systems after hackers encrypted their data and demanded $17,000 in Bitcoin to release them. Unusually, as medical staff attempted to work with pen, paper and fax, the hospital paid up.

“The quickest and most efficient way to restore our systems and administrative functions was to pay the ransom,” said Allen Stefanek, president and chief executive, in a public letter. “In the best interest of restoring normal operations, we did this.”

From the US to the UK

The NHS looked to have less of a problem until December last year when Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust had to take its systems offline following a Globe2 ransomware attack.

The trust cancelled most of its operations and appointments for four days and put large, red notices on its website urging people to only visit its A&E departments “if you absolutely need to.” Some 2,800 appointments were lost because of the attack, which is still subject to a police investigation.

Then, in January this year, Barts Health NHS Trust, the largest in the country, told its staff that it was facing a “ransomware virus” attack that had forced it to take “a number of drives offline as a precautionary measure”.

In the event, the trust got off relatively lightly. Its main electronic patient record and digital imaging systems were not affected; although its pathology system was down for two days, forcing staff to process requests manually.

In a statement, the trust said: “This particular virus has never been seen before and, while it had the potential to do significant damage to our computer network files, our measures to contain it was successful. No patient data was affected [and] there was no unauthorised access to medical records.”

Under bombardment

Emm is not convinced that the NHS is being attacked more than other organisations. Businesses top Kaspersky Lab’s list of targets; health just makes headlines because it’s so sensitive.

Even so, there’s evidence that Northern Lincolnshire and Goole and Barts Health are just the visible tips of a real problem. A number of companies have carried out surveys to try and gauge trust exposure to cyber security issues, using the Freedom of Information Act.

Some trusts have refused to answer, on the basis that disclosing attacks or measures to prevent them would expose them to further risk. But with this caveat, the surveys have tended to suggest that around a third of NHS organisations have been subject to a ransomware attack.

The most recent, conducted by RES, asked trusts and boards across England, Scotland and Wales if they had faced an attack in the past18 months. Some 260 responded, with 18 not answering and 87 saying they had — 34% of the total.

The government is certainly taking the problem seriously. Last year, it updated its national cyber security policy and bolstered support for its Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance, which advises government and the public sector on cyber security issues.

In line with this, NHS Digital, the body responsible for national IT infrastructure, information policies and security, has set up its own CareCERT unit to work with the NHS.

Be prepared

Despite this, the defence against ransomware is, in principle, as simple as the idea behind ransomware itself. The basic advice is to have good perimeter defences, so malware can’t reach a network’s computers and devices.

Then, to make sure users are aware of the dangers of clicking on links, to reduce the risk posed by anything that makes it past the firewall and anti-virus software.

Also, to make sure there are good back-ups in place, so systems can be restored to a non-infected state if an attack is successful. Emm says: “With ransomware specifically, back-up is key. If you can restore then you have no reason to pay.”

From what is known of the recent ransomware attacks on NHS trusts, this is solid advice. Northern Lincolnshire and Goole blamed a “misconfigured firewall” for most of its problems in a report to its board in January.

Bart’s Health said it had updated its anti-virus software “to prevent a recurrence” of its attack. The vast majority of the FOI inquiries returned to company surveys say trusts were able to restore any affected systems from back-up with minimal disruption.

Think strategy

The problem is that there are any number of complications within the basic strands of advice. The NHS runs a lot of old software, some of which may be very vulnerable unless it is very well patched; and keeping on top of patching can be a challenge.

Trusts have also imposed fewer controls on the users of PCs and laptops than they might have done, and been more generous with letting them connect to their networks than they might have been.

Emm says they are not alone in this; a lot of businesses do the same thing. However, if a user is left with ‘administrator’ rights to a desktop machine, then any malware that infects it will get the same rights; and if that desktop is connected to a network, the whole network is at risk.

The answer, Emm says, is to sit down and come up with a solid strategy. “You need to get to your head around what is out there and what it is running because without that you cannot patch it, or isolate it if necessary,” he says.

Remember the user

Allaway goes further, arguing there needs to be a focus on the user and on making sure they can do the right thing — and not the wrong one. “Lots of trusts have focused on getting good protection in place, but they have not thought as much about their people,” he says.

“They tend to assume that people will look out for things that should not be there, but of course they don’t. In the NHS, in particular, if somebody sees a file or a compressed image they will tend to assume it is about a patient and open it. So the key is to make sure they can do their jobs without doing that.”

RES specialises in secure digital workspaces, that put context controls on the information that people can access and what they can do with it. Interestingly, when it comes to combatting ransomware, Allaway says this includes where they can store it.

“Backup is typically seen as another solution to this problem, but people do not always back things up where they should,” he explains. “They often send files to other devices or store them on the desktop. So a trust might think it has a good back-up; only to find that a lot of information has been stored locally.”

Think like a hacker

Tackling the ransomware threat takes time, energy and investment; all of which the NHS would surely rather spend on other things. Unfortunately, that no longer looks like an option.

“If an organisation is not able to defend itself, then it is going to be the target of an attack,” says Emm. “You need to sit down and say: ‘what have we got, and how could it be attacked’. And then you need a really good plan for how you are going to defend it.”

https://www.ehilive.co.uk/en/home.html

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MENTAL HEALTH IT: DEFINING ‘EXEMPLARY’

In his review of NHS IT, US ‘digital doctor’ Robert Wachter recognised that American efforts to digitise healthcare had focused too much on hospitals.

His report, published in September last year https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/using-information-technology-to-improve-the-nhs, said at the start that: “An effort should be made to wire the entire UK system, leaving no sector – including mental health and social care – behind.”

So, there was some surprise when the government’s response, the global digital exemplary programme, initially applied only to acute trusts.

Mental health trusts had to wait for a second round, announced in the Next Steps for the Five Year Forward View report https://www.england.nhs.uk/five-year-forward-view/next-steps-on-the-nhs-five-year-forward-view/harne..., just before the general election was called.

Even then, the seven exemplars were promised a maximum of £5 million each to get their IT up to ‘international’ standards and help others to follow. That’s half of what the acute GDEs have been promised, subject to Treasury approval.

Building a new model

One reason for the delay is that there isn’t an accepted idea of what ‘excellent’ looks like when it comes to mental health IT. In the acute sector, there are several digital maturity models that trusts can follow.

They tend to focus on electronic patient record systems, and it’s sometimes argued that they are unduly geared towards US vendors. However, they are well understood; and there’s nothing like them in mental health.

Also, mental health trusts also have fewer IT suppliers to work with. All but one of the GDEs use a version of Servelec Group’s RiO electronic patient record; which was rolled out to London and other parts of the country as part of the

National Programme for IT.

At least one of the exemplars, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, would like to see some innovation in the market.

Jim Hughes, its director of informatics and performance management, told a recent event: “We want to put pressure on the systems providers to improve what is in

place and perhaps create the building blocks of an open system.

“We also want to push on openness; mental health suppliers need to be open to working with others, and we want to encourage that.”

The seven mental health global digital exemplars are:

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

Extending the reach of EPRs

When it comes to hospitals and inpatient facilities, the mental health and acute GDEs have similar agendas. Both need to build on existing IT systems, to get them onto mobile devices, and to make better use of their information to digitise patient pathways.

For example, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust said in a press statement that it would be looking to “be more efficient through introducing digital technology across wards, to streamline processes and become a paper

free organisation.”

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust said it would be looking to complete its move “from paper to digital technology”, for instance by giving staff mobile devices running an e-observation system and mobile clinical app.

In a similar vein, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said it would be looking to create “paperless wards and services” by “digitising observations” and “creating patient safety and early warning systems.”

A push for mobility

However, the mental health GDEs probably have a bigger focus on mobility. After a decade of mergers and reconfigurations, many of England’s acute trusts are huge organisations.

They employ thousands of staff and they don’t just work at hospitals or other inpatient facilities. They also work out of clinics, offices, and less formal care settings – ranging from custody suites to patients’ own homes.

This means they need their systems to run on secure, mobile platforms. Some of the mental health GDEs have already tackled this agenda.

In a statement, Darren McKenna, director of informatics at Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, noted that its plans would be “underpinned by previous innovative digital projects that include the introduction of secure, remote access allowing our staff to work from anywhere.”

Others will be using their exemplary status to get into it. In the press release announcing the programme, NHS England flagged Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust has a case in point.

It said the trust had “moved from multiple patient record systems to one system across the organisation” and would now be looking to “roll out mobile access to the

patient record, to enable staff in the community to access and update a patient’s records.”

Digital patient services

The mental health GDEs also have a significant focus on new services for patients. Mental health trusts are legally obliged to share some paperwork with patients and are often in touch with them for many years.

This has made some pioneers in the creation of personal health records. South London and Maudsley, for example, is known for the development of my healthlocker; an online service that enables patients to access their care plan, keep notes on how they are feeling and share information with clinicians.

As an exemplary, the trust ­has said that it will continue to “exploit the potential of digital technology to ensure care is more personalised and responsive to patient need.”

Berkshire Healthcare has said it wants to create “a health and social care solution for all providers that patients, families and carers can access” that will “allow for two-way communication, automated and paperless appointments and online treatments.”

And Birmingham and Solihull has said that it wants patients “updating directly into their care record, and being able to interact with clinicians at the trust using the latest digital technology, including a secure online patient portal and

smartphone apps.”

In its press release, NHS England indicates that these are also ambitions for Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, which is particularly keen to add instant, online feedback, and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Oxford Health will be “working in partnership with the University of Oxford to develop an online platform for people experiencing a range of conditions (including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression) to receive tried and tested psychological therapies on their computer or mobile phone.”

Lessons for others

Some of the mental health GDEs are located in healthcare communities that already have acute GDEs. At a recent event, representatives of both said they were keen to work together.

As James Reed, the chief clinical information officer at Birmingham and Solihull pointed out: “Patients don’t necessarily see our services as different; to them, we’re just the NHS. So we need to make sure that we are working together.”

They were also keen to learn from each other. Jim Hughes from Mersey Care, said: “One of the big differences between mental health and acute care is recovery and the idea of recovery. Many people go into hospital and come out again, but many patients will be in mental health services for the rest of their lives.

“That makes the co-production environment rather different.” David Walliker, the chief information officer of two of Liverpool’s biggest acute hospitals, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen and Liverpool Women’s, said it wanted to learn from this long-term experience, and also translate this into a research environment.

“We want to learn from mental health about longitudinal data,” he said. “Our episodes of care are very short, but if you want to do the research you need longitudinal data, and mental health is more used to handling that.”

In the end, though, like James Reed he argued: “I do not think it matters that there are electronic patient records at Royal Liverpool and at Mersey Care; it is just a patient record, held in different places, and one measure of success will be for us to work as one system.”

Defining international excellence in mental health IT

The announcement of the mental health exemplars programme was a late response to an acute sector initiative, and that funding gap still rankles. When asked about the difference between the acute and mental health exemplars, Joe

McDonald, the CCIO at Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and chair of the national CCIO Network joked: “Well, the answer is £5 million for a start!”

Yet, the mental health GDEs have a palpable ambition to shift IT in their sector, to work closely with other parts of the NHS, and to drive faster in some areas than their acute sector colleagues may be able to manage.

If nothing else, they are breaking new ground. As NHS England’s head of technology strategy, Paul Rice, told a recent meeting: “Since we do not have international benchmarks for what excellent looks like, there is a real opportunity to define that.”

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FIVE SECURITY THREATS FOR THE NHS TO THINK ABOUT, RIGHT NOW

The WannaCry ransomware attack was a world-wide phenomenon that affected major companies; but in the UK, it was its impact on the NHS that made headlines.

At least 16 trusts were hit by the virus also known as WannaDecryptor, WannaCrypt or Wcry after it started spreading on Friday, 12 May, and a number had to close A&E departments or postpone routine work. However, ransomware is hardly the only security issue facing the health service.

A few days before WannaCry hit, Accenture released its '2017 Healthcare Cybersecurity and Digital Trust Research' report; and it hardly made for reassuring reading. The UK cut of the global research indicated that 13% of us have had our healthcare data accessed by someone who was not authorised access it.

If that wasn't bad enough, it also found that 36% of the breaches were only uncovered when the person affected noted an error on their records. And that in 82% of cases the data had been used for the purposes of fraud.

My analysis of the report leads me to conclude that such data breaches are most likely in pharmacies and then hospitals, with GP surgeries not that far behind. Yet, understandably, most of us (78%) would say it is the responsibility of the NHS to keep our confidential health records secure.

Competing priorities for limited funds

So, what's going wrong? It's easy to point the finger of blame, and there were plenty of misinformed allegations of stupidity aimed at NHS trust IT managers in the wake of the #NHScyberattack. But nobody is seriously suggesting that they don’t take cyber security seriously; of course, they do.

However, trusts must juggle limited budgets, boards must decide where to focus their attention, and departments must decide where to deploy scarce expertise. In these circumstances, patient care will always win out.

Does that mean the NHS must always fight a losing battle when it comes to securing its systems and the security of patient data? Nope, not at all. What is required is a proper understanding of where risk comes from and the systems and processes that can be put in place to mitigate it.

Also, prioritisation to make sure risks as mitigated, using the budget, board attention and expertise available. The truth is that not all security threats are created equal; some are a lot more threatening than others. Here are five cybersecurity threats that the NHS needs to be dealing with right now...

Ransomware

Ransomware is a kind of virus that lets hackers encrypt an organisation’s files, and then demand a ransom to give them back. Generally, the demand is made in Bitcoin, the electronic currency that is so beloved of the dark web.

It was only a matter of time before the NHS was caught up in a major ransomware attack; US hospitals have been under siege for two years, and a couple of NHS trusts had been forced to take their systems offline to deal with attacks over the winter

The good news is that it’s possible to defend against attacks through a combination of good perimeter defences (firewalls, anti-virus, keeping systems patched), user education, and back-up. However, it’s not always easy to do these things well.

It certainly won’t be easy if an organisation is short on security expertise, has a lot of old and fragmented systems to patch, and employs hundreds (or even thousands) of staff with varying degrees of cyber security savvy. Which pretty much describes the trusts worst hit by WannaCry.

Fractured security systems

If one bad apple is all that it takes to spoil the whole bunch, then one weak point in a hospital security system is all that's needed to let the bad guys in. The thing is, the nature of hospitals and healthcare in general is that there are lots of weak points.

Everything, from a wireless printer in a busy clinic that is left unsecured to a doctor using a smartphone to share diagnostic information with a colleague, can leave holes through which a hacker can jump. Once on the network, a hacker will look for more opportunities to exploit.

The #NHScyberattack was high-profile, but this happens all the time. If NHS trusts cannot secure every device in a diverse and fractured ecosystem, they must at least ensure that any attackers that get in cannot access patient data. Layered security, and a proliferation of firewalls, are your friend.

Legacy applications and hardware

I’ve already noted that the NHS is not a bottomless pit when it comes to money. A specific consequence of that is that it cannot afford to replace things that are still perfectly capable of delivering patient care, even if they aren't the latest model.

Some devices delivering care aren't made any more, or will only run on an ancient operating system. That means most NHS trusts will have multiple machines running on legacy systems that might no longer be supported by the manufacturer (this includes, but is not limited to, Windows XP - the Microsoft OS that received so much attention while WannaCry was in full cry).

What does that mean? It means no security patches to plug the gaps when a new vulnerability is discovered; and discovered they will be. The bad guys know the value in attacking legacy devices and applications for this very reason. If a legacy device or application cannot be secured, then at the very least it should be segregated from the rest of the network.

Social engineering

Ransomware makes headlines, but if the worst comes to the worst most hospitals will have backups of their data. This means they should be able to restore their systems to an uninfected state, which means they are unlikely to respond to a request for a ransom.

Attackers know this, so rather than targeting organisations or individuals, they target everyone by sending hundreds of thousands of phishing emails with infected payloads. Some of those emails will hit NHS staff mailboxes. Some of those staff will click on a link they shouldn't. As far as we know, this is how WannaCry got into NHS IT systems.

But whether it’s WannaCry or something less high profile, the result is the same: compromised networks and a finger of blame pointed at an unfortunate member of staff. Although I don’t think it’s their fault if their management has not implemented staff threat awareness training, so they know what to look out for and how to deal with suspicious contact.

The variant of what is generally known as social engineering is spear phishing, and it can be particularly difficult to deal with, as it targets an individual with a tailored approach rather than a grapeshot mailout. Using social media profiles and posts, an attacker can then include references that put a victim at ease; and more likely to click that potentially devastating link or attachment.

Sometimes an attack can comprise multiple emails before the one with the 'promised document' is sent over and the compromise begins in earnest. Only awareness training can defend properly against such a scenario.

The Internet of Medical Things

You’ve probably read in the newspapers about how the Internet of Things is wonderful, but insecure. Baby monitors that allow an attacker to spy on your child, 'smart' TVs that can spy on you, and even connected cars that can be hijacked by a hacker.

You might not realise that this is a problem facing the NHS as well, as medical devices are increasingly hooked up to the network. Take drug infusion pumps, for example, that can be controlled from afar by hackers. One researcher even managed to remotely install a game of Donkey Kong on a machine that delivers radiation treatment to patients.

Then there's the amount of highly personal data portable medical devices can collect, and the value of this to potential attackers. It's not the easiest problem to solve, but it needs to be tackled fast – and before it's more than data that is the victim of a breach…