Two new additions to NHS Lanarkshire’s research and innovation team are set to ‘help forge a dynamic, forward-looking future for the region’s patients,’ a health innovation specialist believes

The third largest health board in Scotland recently announced that it would be joined by Professor W Gordon Mackay as new Director of Research, Innovation and Academic Partnerships, and Stacey Rooney as Head of Research and Innovation.

The additions are expected to help lead on the development of new treatments and policies which improve patient outcomes across Lanarkshire’s 655,000 population.

Professor ‘Gordie’ Mackay took up his post — the first of its kind for NHS Lanarkshire — on 5 January while Stacey joined in the latter part of last year.

Innovation Commercialisation Manager at InnoScot Health, Frances Ramsay said: “We are in no doubt that Gordie and Stacey will help forge a dynamic, forward-looking future for the region’s patients while also inspiring staff.

“Together, their appointments represent an exciting new era for NHS Lanarkshire’s research and innovation ambitions with collaboration to the fore.

“Both have a proven ability to lead and facilitate the development and implementation of an effective, strategic research vision for the region, resulting in leading innovation created hand in hand with its clinical and academic partners.

“We wish them well in their aspirations and look forward to working with them on further new breakthroughs.”

Professor Mackay’s directorship is considered “a major leadership role that presents a unique, exciting — and high-profile — opportunity to shape the future of healthcare research and innovation (R&I) in NHS Lanarkshire”.

It is further considered a cornerstone of the board’s ambitions “to drive forward, strengthen and further-integrate collaborative working with our key academic partner universities”.

Stacey represents a vital addition too who will be instrumental in shaping the health board’s research and innovation (R&I) landscape and managing strategic collaborations through leadership, local insight, and the development of fresh connections.

She was previously a Clinical Quality Manager for NHS Lanarkshire, starting in 2007, providing specialist knowledge and support in improvement methodologies, clinical audit, and clinical governance.

Professor Mackay said: “I’m delighted to work in NHS Lanarkshire and join a very successful and forward-thinking Research, Innovation and Academic Partnership Service.

“NHS Lanarkshire and our academic partners have a strong record in high-quality research and innovation, and this directly benefits our patients, staff and the organisation as a whole.

“I look forward to meeting new colleagues and working with them to continue to develop and grow research and innovation here.”

NHS Lanarkshire says it “has progressed over recent years to be one of Scotland’s most research-active boards”. Furthermore, it states that its involvement in local, regional and national innovation activities is evolving, and “growth in this area a key focus”.

Professor Mackay is a Senior Manager in the teaching and research team at the University of the West of Scotland’s (UWS) School of Health and Life Sciences.

Within the school, he is Deputy Head of Biological Sciences and Health, responsible for health ethics; Director of the new Integrated Health, Environment and Life Sciences Research Institute; Director of the Centre for Infection and Microbiology, and has an active and successful research and consultancy profile.

The professor further held an honorary position with Public Health Scotland (PHS), supporting COVID-19 recovery, and worked with the World Health Organisation (WHO) on HIV drug resistance surveillance.

InnoScot Health has previously worked closely with NHS Lanarkshire on developing innovations including the Patient Transfer Scale (PTS), invented by Gillian Taylor, a former Emergency Department nurse working within the board.