By Paul Benton
Managing Director, International, at the
Association of British HealthTech Industries
Over the last 16 months, travel has been heavily restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the UK has come up with an innovative way of still connecting with global audiences.
The recently launched ‘UK Healthcare Pavilion’ http://ukhealthcarepavilion.com showcases the very best of UK healthcare and life sciences and has been developed to help Middle Eastern audiences learn more about the UK.
The platform provides news, insights, and interviews from a variety of key opinion leaders and policy makers, offering their views on topical subjects in the sector and showcasing the strengths the UK has to offer.
It includes a searchable directory of British companies providing overseas buyers with a simple and intuitive way to identify and engage with UK industry and healthcare organisations. Also listed are the UK’s most prestigious private healthcare providers, highlighting why millions of people each year choose the UK as the place to access world class healthcare treatment.
The UK brand is well respected in the region, presenting an opportunity for UK innovators to support the major drivers in the Middle East, such as ageing populations, increased life expectancy, and sedentary lifestyles that lead to an increase in obesity, cancer and diabetes.
The virtual site will also support the UK’s physical attendance at Arab Health 2022.
Arab Health now features 39 country pavilions, including the United Kingdom. Each year the show attracts over 106,500 visitors, generating US$824 million in business. For over 11 years the UK Pavilion has been organised by the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) – the leading industry association for the health technology sector in the UK.
The UK Pavilion is a vibrant hub of activity and the 2022 show is shaping up to be no different. The ABHI UK Pavilion will be located in Hall 2 and alongside the businesses exhibiting there is a busy programme of activity planned to showcase the very best of UK healthcare expertise. This will include live surgical demonstrations and product showcases; activities which always draw sizeable crowds to the pavilion.
Simulated operating theatre
Taking centre stage within the ABHI UK pavilion will once again be the state-of- the art simulated operating theatre. It celebrates collaborations between healthcare providers, clinicians and healthcare technology companies, allowing visitors to watch Britain’s best surgeons in action.
At the 2019 show, cutting-edge doctor Professor Shafi Ahmed performed virtual reality and augmented reality surgery on the UK Pavilion. Dubbed the “world’s most watched surgeon” due to the live streaming of one of his surgeries, Professor Ahmed is just one example of the forward-thinking clinical experts the UK boasts, and ABHI are delighted to be hosting an equally impressive line-up this time around.
From the essential everyday products such as sticking plasters and surgical instruments, through to hip and knee implants, pacemakers and MRI machines, we are seeing products increasingly incorporate new fields of science, utilising data, artificial intelligence, robotics and nanomaterials. The industry is integral to the delivery of modern healthcare, supporting better patient outcomes and improved efficiencies within healthcare systems around the globe.
The sector has matured; devices, diagnostics and digital technologies have become
increasingly sophisticated and treatment for the likes of cancer and stroke are now
quicker and more targeted, supporting improved survival rates and life expectancy.
Digital health
The UK is leading the way, and this will be demonstrated by the number of Digital Health companies keen to exhibit at Arab Health.
As people live longer, we are experiencing a rise in chronic conditions, meaning we must predict, identify, diagnose and treat patients as early as possible to prevent, manage or halt disease progression.
There will always be a role for the hospital, but with the right use of technology we can start to look at delivering care in alternative environments, such as the home or workplace. Through monitoring and predictive algorithms, we are positioned to manage our own health, with added focus on prevention and protection, thus alleviating pressures on health systems.
It’s not all apps, robots and telemedicine though. There are currently over 11,000
Digital Health employees working in the UK; applying their trade to infrastructure projects, such as hospital and GP information systems. Programmes that will equip services, such as the UK’s NHS, to deliver on what is arguably its prize asset: its data. As the world’s largest single health-payer system, the NHS has a rich data pool. Large datasets, utilised effectively, mean three things for care: it can be more predictable, more personalised and more precise.
When we consider the proximity of the world-class research institutions to the NHS, the country has a unique advantage over its global competitors and is highly regarded overseas.
International markets continue to view the UK as a ‘stamp of quality’, and vice
versa, UK businesses are eager to demonstrate their credentials on the world-stage, to bring their technologies to new countries and support improved patient outcomes internationally.
As the economies of the region continue to diversify, with banking, tourism, commerce and real estate all growing, the demand for proven HealthTech has increased to support the burgeoning population and rise of expatriate workers. Unsurprisingly then, UK companies are well placed to support these trends and Arab Health continues to be the region’s flagship show to demonstrate the latest capabilities.
Connect with the UK
The UK Healthcare Pavilion is now live, and we want visitors across the globe to really understand that the UK is open for business and ready to collaborate. To find out more, visit: ukhealthcarepavilion.com
We look forward to seeing you in person at Arab Health 2022.
