Our work is rooted in working with communities and clinical teams to solve the distinctive health challenges of our rural and coastal region. A place with a rapidly ageing population, where travel time to a Type 1 Emergency Department is twice the national average, with some of the most deprived areas in the country and stark health inequalities across our rural, coastal and urban communities.

Much of what we do in response to these challenges is focused on three big shifts across health and care – moving care closer to home, focusing more on prevention so people can stay well and independent for longer and making better use of digital tools and technologies. All three of these shifts are especially important for a rural and coastal region like the South West.

We’re delighted to share the impact of our work with partners over the last year. The team continue to drive impact through our role as a catalyst and a connector, working at the centre of the South West’s innovation ecosystem, to help find, test and scale the innovation that can make the biggest difference to people’s lives here in the South West.

Our response is fuelled by partners who bring incredible expertise, insight and energy to our shared mission. We’ve already seen what’s possible through our work together. Such as helping to spread an innovative neonatal pathway that’s reducing hospital stays for newborns, getting families home sooner, easing pressure on hospitals and enabling families to receive neonatal care closer to home. Or our real-world testing of a digital tool that helps predict relapse in people with severe mental illness, reducing hospital admissions, especially important in rural areas where accessing care can be more difficult.