The Spark Innovation Programme is an initiative that encourages healthcare providers to develop and implement their ideas so that we can improve our health service.

National Doctors Training and Planning (NDTP) established Spark in July 2017 as a national programme to encourage, support and recognise innovation among doctors in Ireland. The programme is now also being supported by the National Quality Improvement Team with the goal of encouraging innovation across our health service

As our patient cohort becomes more complex, providing high standards of care becomes more challenging. Frontline members of staff are ideally placed to recognise the issues faced by their patients and colleagues and implement creative solutions to these issues. NDTP and the Spark programme aim to support projects that make our health service a better place to work and receive care. 

The first Spark Ignite event took place in Galway in 2018. Applications were open to all healthcare staff working in the Galway region. Entrants were asked to plan, perfect and then pitch their ideas at the event.  The winners of the competition were given funding to further develop their ideas and are getting on-going support and mentorship from Health Innovation Hub Ireland. 

One of the first winners of the Spark Ignite competition was Professor Derek O’Keefe, consultant physician in GUH, and his team members Brendan Tuohy, Clinical Engineer UHG, Frank Kirrane, Clinical Engineer UHG, Michael Kerin Consultant Surgeon, UHG, Peter McCarthy Consultant Radiologist, UHG. Prof O’Keefe and his team proposed to develop an inexpensive handheld medical electronic device that will accurately tell if a Naso-Gastric (NG) tube has been placed correctly in the stomach before NG feeding commences.

The winners of the competition will be given funding to further develop their ideas and will receive on-going support and mentorship from Health Innovation Hub.