We’ve had the pleasure of exhibiting at a number of HETT Shows across the years but this one feels more poignant than the ones that have come before it. For WiFi SPARK, we’ve only had the opportunity to attend a handful of face-to-face events since 2020 and between now and then, the company landscape has grown to welcome new members to the team in the acquisition of patient engagement behemoth, Hospedia.  

For us, this is a fantastic opportunity to engage with the sector in an event setting once again whilst debuting our new plans for patient engagement innovation, we can’t wait. We’ll be at stand 29 for the duration of the event with our CEO, Matt O’Donovan, leading a presentation looking ‘beyond patient entertainment’ at 2:30 pm in the Integrated Care Systems theatre.  

But whilst you pencil that presentation in your diary, you may want to plan for who else you’d like to see whilst you’re there.  

Below we’ve picked out some of the key discussions happening across the day, make the most of your event and explore our recommendations.  

9-9:30 am Keynote Talk - Headline Theatre | Fireside Chat: Adopting and Spreading Healthcare Innovation with Sam Shah and Dr. Jennifer Dixon 

What better way to kick off the event than discussing how we can work to ensure we are embracing innovation within our own companies and how we can best work together to spread that innovation to our customers, partners, and end-users.  

With the acclaimed Dr. Jennifer Dixon CBE, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, joining Professor Sam Shah, previously Director of Digital Development for NHS England and NHSX, and now Chief Medical Strategy Officer for Numan, it is set to be a fascinating and informative discussion. 

11-11:40 am – Headline Theatre | Combatting Digital Exclusion from Health Inequalities: How to Deliver UX for Diverse End-to-End Services with Dylan Roberts, Helen Milner, Mavis Machirori and Tero Väänänen  

Developers across healthtech work tirelessly to build a UX that is functional, inclusive, and aesthetically pleasing but as we progress to a more representational society, we are able to see how we might do more to diversify our service offering. The discussion will question how covid has refocused our priorities, which groups have been overlooked, and the importance of increasing the diversity of the workforce to deliver truly inclusive services.  

The panel of speakers provide insight from NHS Foundation Trusts, NHS Digital, the Good Things Foundation, and the Ada Lovelace Institute, delivering a range of insights from across the sector.  

1:45-2:20 pm – Patient-Centered Design Theatre | How to Drive Forward UCD, Inclusion, and Patient Involvement at ICS Level with Dave Sweeney, Simon Dixon, and Sue Lacey Bryant 

Discussing the driving forces behind effective user-centred design (UCD), the panelists look to the factors of digital literacy, evidence-based innovation, and design partnerships. Following on from the 11 am session in the Headline Theatre noted above, this presentation will allow you to understand the development behind digital inclusion.  

Dave Sweeny sits on the panel, the Executive Director of Partnerships at Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership, Dave is acutely aware of the practical applications and the importance of effective UCD. With 24 years’ experience working in Health and Social care, commissioning, transformation, and change management, his additions will be interesting to hear.  

1:45-2:25 pm – Remote Care Theatre | Developing Community-Led Services and Digital Resources in Remote Care with Antonia Brown, Eddie Olla, Maddie Julian, and Stephanie Somerville 

The pandemic has accelerated the sector-wide drive to move to remote monitoring where appropriate. The technology has been in the pipeline of healthtech companies for a while and the NHS is now in a position to see it as a priority. The panel of speakers will discuss how to effectively prepare the workforce to maximise the opportunities the technology can offer, the potential the technology has within the care home sector and what we can learn from remote Long Covid management.  

On the panel sits Maddie Julian, the Co-Founder and Director of DigiBete, the company championing remote monitoring technology for those living with Type 1 diabetes. DigiBete is a platform where young people and their families can come and share videos and educational resources about Type 1 Diabetes. Being a condition that is predominantly monitored remotely, Maddie Julian will provide an informed perspective on the issue that will paint a greater picture for the healthcare sector as a whole.  

2:25-2:45pm – Remote Care Theatre| Learning from Evaluation – How Video Tools Have Adapted Digital Mental Health Services with Aileen Jackson and Stuart Adams 

Covid-19 has meant significant changes in how mental health services in South London, the district of our two panellists, have been delivered, with a particular shift from face-to-face appointments to video and phone consultations. Jackson and Adams will look at the shift and assess its poignance, for better or for worse, on patients.  

Following on from a discussion on the promise of remote monitoring and the opportunity that provides for the NHS, this session will reinforce the importance of personalised care when deciding if remote monitoring is appropriate. With their findings being presented, this discussion will be a factual insight into what has worked in South London.   

Those are just five of our suggestions for must-see presentations at this February’s Leading Healthcare Innovation Summit. There are countless delegates and a brilliant selection of exhibitors to visit at the event so be sure to explore the exhibition hall during your visit.  

At WiFi SPARK we can’t wait to kick off our first event of the year, if you’d like to get a taste of what we’ll be discussing why not browse take our healthcare solution finder quiz? Get a solution recommendation tailored to your requirements. We look forward to seeing you at the event where we can discuss your needs further.