New projects funded through innovation accelerator programme
The inaugural Heart Lung and Critical Care Innovation Accelerator Programme held its first judges panel pitch event on 18 March 2026, held at the Governor’s Hall at St Thomas’s Hospital.
The Innovation Accelerator Programme is a new initiative led by Dr Nana Theodorou associate director for research, with the support of Dr Ehaar Emir-El, R&D senior research project manager, aimed at bringing fresh, innovative ideas to life. Open to all staff, regardless of role, the programme gives everyone the opportunity to share ideas, challenge existing ways of working, and make a real difference to patient care and services.
On the day, six shortlisted candidates presented their projects to a panel of experts, drawn from across Guy’s & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust. The panel was chaired by Stephen Black, consultant vascular surgeon, and further included Thom Van Every, head of innovation and commercial development at CITI chief of surgery and Nilkunj Dodhia, non-executive director.
Each candidate presented a 5-minute pitch, followed by 15 minutes of questions from the panel. The ideas spanned a wide range of themes, and the presentations were all said to be of excellent quality, with five candidates ultimately successful.
Up to £15,000 in funding was awarded to successful proposals, supporting projects designed to drive innovation, improve patient outcomes and advance clinical excellence in heart, lung and critical care.
Congratulations to the successful candidates:
Dr Chiara Bucciarelli-Ducci, consultant cardiologist for her project “Cardiac MRI (CMR) Anywhere – Developing a mobile CMR service in the UK". A mobile cardiac MRI service aiming to improve equitable access, reduce waiting times, and deliver high-quality, cost-effective cardiac diagnostics across underserved regions in England and Wales.
Naomi Good, lead for arts and patient and public engagement, for her project “Guide Me: An accessible digital buddy to help patients navigate hospital care”. Guide Me is a patient co-designed Augmented Reality (AR) and AI digital navigation tool that uses artwork-based landmarks and conversational support to improve hospital wayfinding, reduce anxiety, and enhance access and experience at Royal Brompton Hospital.
Dr Matthew Laraghy, senior clinical fellow, for his project “If It’s Used, It’s Counted: Passive Medication Tracking for High-Pressure Care”. A novel system that automatically tracks unused medication and blood products use in theatres and ICU with the aim to helps hospitals better understand medication use, improve stock management, and enhance patient safety, without adding extra workload for clinical staff.
Paulo De Sousa, senior research nurse, for his project “OPCATS-2 Optimum Patient Care for Ambulatory Thoracic Surgery”. An ambulatory thoracic surgery pathway using outpatient chest drain management to enable earlier safe discharge, reduce hospital stay, and improve patient experience without compromising outcomes.
Melissa Zubiri, practice educator for digital innovation & AI change in theatres, for her project “Theatre Nurses’ Digital Hub”. A digital hub using in-workstation tablets which aims to streamline nursing workflows by providing real-time access to reporting tools, stock management, dashboards, and training resources to improve efficiency, safety, and staff satisfaction.
The successful candidates will now receive funding, alongside mentoring, guidance, and access to additional resources to help turn their ideas into real solutions for patients and staff.
Commenting on the programme, Dr Stephen Black said:
“It was a real pleasure to be part of this inaugural accelerator program. The high quality of all the presentations was outstanding, and I was really enthused by the appetite for innovation and desire for positive impact of all the presenters. The future of innovation is certainly bright and the hope is that the accelerator program can develop meaningful impact through innovation for our patients and trust. Thanks to all those who have contributed to making this a success”
As programme lead, Dr Nana Theodorou said:
"It has been a privilege to lead the Innovation Accelerator Programme and witness the passion our staff have for improving patient services. Our five successful candidates are now equipped to turn their ingenuity into impact."
The HLCC Accelerator Innovation Programme would also like to acknowledge the support of Tas Gohir, senior IP and commercial research manager, and the research development team throughout this process. As well as the programmes charity partner, Royal Brompton and Harefield Charity and industry partner, Medtronic for their support and funding.
To find out more about our research, please contact the research team.