Last week, Rach and Paul attended Health Innovation North for an inspiring day learning about all the latest ideas and challenges facing the health sector.

It was packed – demonstrating the energy and enthusiasm that still characterises the sector, even in difficult times.

The lineup was stellar, with appearances from Richard Stubbs, Professor Same Lesley Regan, Professor Tony Young OBE, Professor Lucy Chappell, Tom Riordan CBE and Sir James Mackey, to name but a few.

Highlights included some Dragon’s Den style pitches from the founders of some disruptive companies, early in their journeys, including Laura Earnshaw from My Happy Mind, Taz Aldawoud from Doc Abode and Dr Julian Nesbitt from Dr Julian.

There was a brilliant session on women’s health with a fantastic panel, whose insights were in equal part inspiring and infuriating at the inequalities that persist.

For us, as marketers and communicators specialising in health, it was fantastic to learn just how many priority areas we can play an active role in.

There were some ‘straight forward’ communication challenges, such as the issues raised by Sir James around the public and politicians still misunderstanding the role of healthcare – not as a cost centre, but as a driver of economic growth.

Right through to the highly complex behaviour changes and mindset shifts that are needed within the system to drive adoption of innovative new tools and methodologies.

It’s an exciting time to be a creative communications consultancy in health and care, and HIN got us revved up for the challenges we’ll be working on over the coming months that will make a real impact on the care people receive and the public’s health and wellbeing.