The First Annual Paddington Life Sciences Symposium
At Listen to Act, we are dedicated to working in equal partnership with stakeholders at different levels to facilitate the active participation of people in shaping the communities they live in and services they use.
On 9th October, partners from the NHS, industry, Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) sector and academia came together at the first annual Paddington Life Sciences symposium to celebrate a year of progress since the launch of the Paddington Life Sciences initiative. The event, co-hosted by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, brought together experts and leaders to discuss the key role partnerships play in improving local and global health.
Listen to Act was thrilled to be invited to join an expert panel to explore the role of partnerships and building trust in effectively engaging communities. A key point raised was the empowerment of communities to take ownership of these partnerships, ensuring that their voices are key to shaping healthcare and innovation strategies.
Panel members: Bethan George (Director, Population Health Management, Optum), Sarindi Aryasinghe (Programme manager, Digital Health and Patient Experience, Imperial College London), Alex Weston and Chair, Dominique Allwood (Director of Population Health, Imperial College Healthcare and Chief Medical Officer, UCL Partners)
Our own Alex Weston, representing Listen to Act, shared his insights on how successful partnerships at different levels are an essential building block towards community engagement and involvement and what is required to build trust amongst young people, using our award-winning Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG) as a case study.
Dr Suki Balendra, Director of Strategic Partnerships (Paddington Life Sciences), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, praised the contributions made by us during the symposium, saying: "To have your perspective and expertise around data and engaging with local communities was so powerful. I have had so much positive feedback about your session."
The event also featured a video recording from Lord Vallance, Minister of State for Science, Research, and Innovation, who emphasised the importance of partnerships between the NHS and industry, stating that the NHS and life sciences sector make crucial contributions to one another that are mutually beneficial. He also stated how with the help of innovation, we can see improved outcomes, increase in efficiency, and offer hope where there was none before.
Furthermore, Lord Darzi addressed the room saying: “We need to remember it also takes the public - the end users who we are trying to help, and ultimately, who are the strongest drivers for change. In whatever endeavour we undertake in health, the public are key partners in achieving progress.”
The symposium gave a useful forum for exchanging ideas on the importance of partnerships to enhance local and worldwide health. At Listen to Act, we are proud to contribute to these events as they help us to amplify the value of community-driven approaches that contribute to the improvement of local and global health, build our knowledge about good practice in different sectors and explore what collaboration could look like.
The learn more about the event, click here.