WIREDGOV

Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Ruth Hussey will today visit the £49m Institute of Life Science in Swansea to see how collaboration between the NHS, academics and industry is benefitting patients in Wales.

The Welsh Government has invested £32m including EU funds of £22m, in the institute, which is Wales’ premier purpose-built medical research facility. The institute is a collaboration between Swansea University, the Welsh Government, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, IBM and other industry partners.  

Speaking ahead of the visit, Dr Hussey said:

“This is a place for academics, clinicians and industry experts to bring together their experience and knowledge to benefit human health.”
She will meet the data science experts who are using demographic information to plan health services of the future. Using the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) databank, which brings together the widest possible range of routinely-collected data for research, they work with industry partners to investigate how this information can be used to plan services to improve the health of the Welsh population.  

Dr Hussey will also meet staff from Glyconics, a Swansea University spinout company, which is developing technology for the early detection and monitoring of respiratory disease.  

Dr Hussey said:

“Early diagnosis could have a significant impact on the way in which respiratory disease is managed; treating patients earlier will reduce the number of people who are admitted to hospital and help the NHS make better use of resources.  
“We are witnessing world-leading research here in Swansea, which will help us to improve healthcare in Wales.”