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28 January 2026

Innovation briefing: Health Innovation North West Coast Chief Executive Dr Phil Jennings with Dame Angela Eagle

Health Innovation North West Coast Chief Executive Dr Phil Jennings met Wallasey MP Dame Angela Eagle to outline the organisation’s plans to drive healthcare innovations that benefit communities in Wirral.

Dr Jennings described how Health Innovation North West Coast’s work can accelerate the way innovations are adopted by the healthcare system and so improve patient care.

He also explained how reducing poor health could boost UK productivity and unlock up to £246bn in the economy.

He outlined how Health Innovation North West Coast’s ambitions are aligned with the Government’s focus on the three healthcare shifts, from sickness to prevention, from hospital to community care, and from analogue to digital.

And he described two of the organisation’s signature programmes: to reduce the impact of fuel poverty on the health of vulnerable individuals and to improve the diagnosis of acute respiratory infections and so ease pressure on the healthcare system.

Dr Jennings said: “We’re keen to spread the message that we aim to deliver tangible improvements in health outcomes in all our communities. Those improvements in turn can power significant economic growth.

“Dame Angela was a very engaged and sympathetic listener. We were particularly keen to share with her our plans to tackle health inequalities and improve the diagnosis of patients with respiratory infections, which would help ease pressures on the healthcare system.

“I’m hopeful we convinced her that our collaborations with partners in the health and care community and elsewhere are continuing to bear fruit.”

Dame Angela said: “It was good to hear how Health Innovation North West Coast is helping turn new ideas into real improvements for patients.

“In Wallasey, and across the Wirral, better prevention, earlier diagnosis, and stronger community care can make a real difference to people’s health and ease pressures on our local NHS.

“I’m looking forward to hearing updates on their progress when we next meet.”

Dr Jennings and Dame Angela were hosted by the Village Medical Centre in Wallasey.

Read more about Health Innovation North West Coast’s fuel poverty projects and about its point-of-care testing for acute respiratory infections.

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