CBI North East, One North East and the Strategic Health Authority would like to invite you to a working dinner on the health sector, focusing on a small number of important priorities for the sector.

This event is not intended only for people or businesses directly related to healthcare. Many products and services developed for other sectors and industries have applications within a health setting and can deliver real improvements for both patients and operating costs. As such we are aiming to involve as wide a range of businesses as possible, in order to encourage innovation from outside.

The aims of the event are:

• To find innovative solutions to improve the health of people in the North East;
• To support North East businesses to engage with the NHS, and to encourage the development of new products and services; and
• To ensure that, in the current climate, the NHS is able to do more with less.

Specifically, the event will concentrate on three key issues: falls, obesity and the provision of healthcare in rural areas. In each we believe there are a range of business opportunities and scope for improvements in healthcare and prevention, driven by innovative solutions linked to the provision of products and services from variants on telecare and assistive technologies, diagnostics, medical devices, healthcare products, food and dietetics and the provision of personal care services.

So if you would like to find out more about the scope of this innovation, its practical applications and how your business can engage with the health sector, we’d be delighted if you would join us. The working dinner will take place at One North East, Stella House, Newburn Riverside, NE15 8NY.

Please RSVP for the dinner by emailing carole.coulton@cbi.org.uk or calling her on (0191) 255 4410. Places are limited and I’d urge you therefore to respond quickly.