Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust calls on tech firms to inspire staff at Elevate showcase

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has become the latest organisation to announce that it will host an Elevate health tech showcase to inspire staff at all levels with the latest in technology and digital innovation.  

Health tech growth partner Highland launched the Elevate showcase series earlier this year to bring innovative technology directly to NHS trusts and their workforce.

Carried out within hospitals and on the doorstep of healthcare professionals, each event is designed to put suppliers and innovators in front of hundreds of staff at all levels.

Showcasing tech curated for specific staff needs, the event at the Countess of Chester Hospital on 20 July 2026 comes at an exciting time in the trust’s digital development.

An early adopter of technology, the trust has spent the past five-years updating and optimising its electronic patient record, alongside investment in IT to improve productivity, flow, and reporting.

Now, it is looking to create a new digital strategy that will build on these foundations to address the challenges it faces, transform ways of working, and demonstrate the “art of the possible.”

This includes exploring opportunities from AI, building on solutions already deployed in dermatology and stroke services.

Jason Bradley, the trust’s chief digital and data officer, said: “The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is already doing good things for a relatively small organisation.

“We have invested in infrastructure, records, and analytics, and have a reputation for punching above our weight, digitally.

“Now we want to go further. That’s why we are so excited about the opportunity to host an Elevate showcase, where technology providers can engage and inspire our colleagues by demonstrating just what’s possible.

“This will be a brilliant opportunity for our staff to see some great innovation, and I hope it will inspire them to think about how it could improve their working lives, find new ways of doing things, and deliver an even better service for the patients that we serve.”

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is particularly interested in technology that can help to cut waiting times, reduce pressure on ED, remove paper processes from wards and departments, improve productivity, strengthen its reach into the community, and empower patients.

Suppliers with software, products, or services in these areas can find out more and request a place on a dedicated Elevate website. The Countess of Chester Hospital event will be as flexible as possible, so staff can come for the day or drop in to see tech pitched to them.

In addition to the supplier showcase, there will be a programme of keynote and technology innovation talks and discussions, to add buzz to the event.

The showcase model has already been proven in a pilot at the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, where suppliers and the NHS reported some of the strongest digital engagement they had ever seen.

At the pilot event, more than 500 employees from the chair and chief executive to frontline teams, nurses, surgeons, estates, finance, procurement, HR, infection control, and people throughout the hospital engaged with major tech companies and targeted health tech innovators.

Discussions are already feeding into the trust’s digital strategy and generating opportunities.

Highland chief executive Mark Venables said: “We launched Elevate to change the model of engagement between suppliers and the NHS, and to enable whole-organisation involvement in technology at a time when it is needed most.

“The feedback we received from the Derby pilot, and the excitement that has been generated for Bristol, shows why momentum is building for this new approach to digital inspiration.

“That the Countess of Chester Hospital has decided to come on board is fantastic and demonstrates an appetite in the NHS for discovery.

“We look forward to taking the very best digital and health tech innovations to the trust, so it can take the next steps on its digital journey and excite staff about where that could take them.”