Innovative ambulance restraint scoops prestigious life sciences award
A highly innovative solution to safely restraining and transporting critically ill children has scooped a prestigious Scottish Health Innovations Ltd (SHIL) Award for best innovation originating from NHS Scotland.
Keith Colver and David Fitzpatrick from the Scottish Ambulance Service worked in conjunction with SHIL and Lightweight Medical to produce an innovative solution to restraining critically ill children in ambulances. The Ambulance Child Restraint® (ACR) is the only paediatric restraint capable of fitting all children less than 45 kg which is fully crash tested to CEN compliance levels.
The award was presented at the Scottish Enterprise annual awards and dinner in Edinburgh on Thursday 4th February in front of more than 750 representatives from the life sciences community in Scotland and worldwide.
Sandy Allan, chief executive officer of Scottish Health Innovations Ltd, said: “There is no one better placed to devise new and innovative ways to improve patient care than those who deliver it. This innovation from the Scottish Ambulance service will provide a much needed solution to a problem experienced by ambulance services across the UK.
“This Award is a real chance for us to recognise and reward those at the frontline of the NHS who think innovatively and are constantly looking to improve patient care. ”
The Nominees for the Scottish Enterprise Scottish Life Sciences Awards 2010 are:
Best new life science company in Scotland
· BigDNA Ltd, Edinburgh (WINNER)
· Sistemic Ltd, Glasgow
· Tissue Solutions Ltd, Glasgow
Innovation award
· NiTech Solutions Ltd, East Kilbride
· MSD, Motherwell
· Vascutek Ltd, Renfrewshire (WINNER)
Life Sciences Business Leadership (2009)
· Aircraft Medical, Edinburgh
· Axis-Shield Diagnostics Ltd, Dundee (WINNER)
· TouchBionics, Livingston
Outstanding contribution to the growth of Scottish Life Sciences
· Professor Alasdair Munro, Centre for Health Science/SHIL, Inverness
· Jim Reid, ChimaeraBio, Crieff (WINNER)
· Peter Shakeshaft
Scottish Health Innovations Ltd award for best innovation originating within NHS Scotland
· Dr. Jonathon Bannister and Dr. Glyn Walsh for the Prism Glasses, NHS Tayside and Caledonian University
· Dr. David Keating, Dr. Stuart Parks and Donald Smith for the Multifocal Electroretinogram LED Stimulator, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
· David Fitzpatrick and Keith Colver for the Ambulance Child Restraint, Scottish Ambulance Service (WINNER)
Scottish Health Innovations Ltd works in partnership with NHS Scotland to protect and develop new innovations that come from healthcare professionals.