Innovation

City Hospitals Sunderland is enthusiastic in encouraging Innovation in every department. We want our staff to be creative and feel supported when being innovative. A bright idea can be the development of a product, a process or the identification of an unmet need in your service.


The Research and Innovation department thrive on working closely with local SMEs (small to medium sized enterprises) to develop close alliances for the future when developing new concepts.

What is innovation?

“Innovation is about delivering value through the implementation of new ideas; whether those ideas are adopted or entirely new. It is essentially about weaving together different knowledge strands - clinical, technical, market, financial and so on - to create value" - Bessant, Moslein; Advanced Institute of Management Research (2011)

“An idea or product new to the NHS or applied in a way that is new to the NHS, which significantly improves the quality of health and care wherever it is applied”.-Innovation, Health and Wealth. Accelerating Adoption and Diffusion in the NHS (2011

Successful Innovations at City Hospitals Sunderland

The ideas and concepts developed so far have stretched from medical devices and patient care pathways, all the way to catering devices such as the successful innovative hot drinks beverage trolley.

City Hospitals Sunderland and Quality Hospitals Solutions have a partnership which is beneficial as it provides an ideal platform to capture new ideas which ultimately improve patient care yet also drive efficiencies and save money. See below the successful beverage trolley which is now being sold throughout the region.

Innovation scouts

We’re scouting for your Bright Ideas.

City Hospitals Sunderland has 4 innovation scouts who all have expertise in different backgrounds. This enables support and advice for whichever area your ‘bright idea’ fits into.

Contact us

Director of Research and Innovation Kim Hinshaw

Innovation Manager Charlotte Fox

Research and Innovation Business Manager Ruth Turner

Innovation Management Trainee Emily Brand

Sunderland Royal Hospital

Kayll Road, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR4 7TP

Tel: 0191 565 6256

View on a map | Parking and directions

Sunderland Eye Infirmary

Queen Alexandra Road, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR2 9HP

Tel: 0191 565 6256

View on a map | Parking and direction

#