In our latest #OurEntrepreneurs profile we meet cohort 8 Clinical Entrepreneur Corinne Birch, Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner in Primary Care.

Tell us a bit about yourself 

I am a proud graduate of King’s College London, where I trained as a Physiotherapist. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of building a rich and varied career. For the past decade, I’ve served as an Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner in Primary Care, recently completing a Master’s in Advanced Practice.

In my role, I work as a First Contact Physiotherapist and research clinician, while also taking on leadership and educational responsibilities within our Primary Care Network (PCN). Over the past five years, I’ve developed a deep passion for preventative medicine, focusing particularly on the primary prevention of falls and fractures among older adults.

Tell us about your innovation  

Hip and fragility fractures cost the NHS and social care around £4.4 billion a year. Currently, interventions are only provided after someone has fallen and fractured.

I have developed an automated digital screening process that identifies older adults at the highest risk of falling and fracturing. This process aims to prevent the first fall and fracture, reducing disability and improving the health of our older adults. It provides a cost-effective method of screening, allowing personalised interventions to be provided to those most in need.

The feasibility of this digital screening process has been tested, and the study won awards at both the British Geriatric Society and Royal Osteoporosis Society conferences in 2023. Bristol North Somerset & South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) ICB have recently awarded me £100k funding to conduct the first fracture and falls screening project across the population of Weston-Super-Mare using this digital process. This screening and intervention project will be run by a physiotherapist and pharmacist, reducing the impact on our GP’s time and limited resources.

In the 2023 Chief Medical Report ‘Health in an Ageing Society’, Professor Chris Whitty highlighted the critical need to do something differently to reduce the burden of poor health and disability in our older population. He advocated for more primary and secondary preventions, better treatment, and more research in older people. This project also aligns with the governments’ three big shifts:

• Hospital to Community
• Analogue to Digital
• Treatment to Prevention

Why did you apply to join the programme, and what are you most looking forward to?

I was encouraged to apply to the NHS CEP by my colleague and mentor Dr Holly Paris, Associate Clinical Director at Pier Health Group and Frailty Lead. She was impressed by my Masters work and could see the potential of its’ value in supporting wider scale proactive preventative care.

So far, the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (CEP) has significantly boosted my confidence and skills, enabling me to pitch my innovation to large audiences. It has connected me with some of the most influential and experienced leaders in the NHS, providing invaluable opportunities to discuss my project and share its impact.

I have been fortunate to have two mentors: Judy Oliver, Founder of Oliver & Company, who has provided sound and practical advice on pitching to the ICB and thinking at a systems level; and Ian Newington, Assistant Director of Innovations at LGC Grant Management Group, who has encouraged me to apply for grant funding, including the NIHR.

The educational events have been excellent, particularly the session on Belbin, which has prompted me to reflect on my leadership style and understand what makes a successful team. These skills are now crucial as I recruit a new team to support my project.

What are your ambitions for the next year?

I am currently in the project set-up phase, with plans to commence screening at BNSSG ICB in April 2025. This marks an exciting milestone for my innovation, which aims to significantly reduce fractures and other falls-related injuries, leading to considerable economic savings for the NHS and social care.

Looking ahead, I am seeking additional funding to evaluate the socio-economic impact of the project and also exploring the integration of Artificial Intelligence to enhance the prediction of fall risks. Should I secure research funding, I intend to present our findings at conferences, including the World Falls Conference in 2026 in the UK, and to publish the results in a reputable journal.

If the project progresses well, my ultimate goal is to scale my innovation to support our older adults to live better and reduce the risk of falls and fractures both nationally and internationally.

Why do you think innovation is important in healthcare?

If we keep doing the same thing as we have always done, we not only stand still but we will drown in the growing need for health care. Innovation is about allowing people to think outside of the box, to seek solutions in a different way. By allowing this space to innovate we can find new solutions to growing demand. Not every innovation will work, but giving us the time, space and support to do this will also retain the staff.

How can we find out more?

Please connect with me on social media for more information.