LumiraDx

The health technology sector across the region is set to continue to grow with projects like Smartline and EPIC going live alongside a thriving community for forward-thinking businesses looking to revolutionise the industry and play a crucial role in a global market.

Meet one of these businesses – LumiraDx Care Solutions, formerly known as SCSLhealth until its acquisition in 2016 by LumiraDx, a global health technology company who recognised the innovative and skills expertise of a small business located in Camborne, Cornwall. Born out of a GP practice in Cornwall, Dr Mark Sullivan – Medical Director at LumiraDx Care Solutions – ran an anticoagulation service in the ‘90s. Thinking outside the box, Mark realised that technology and algorithms could help provide enhanced levels of accuracy to clinical decision making and, shortly after, the clinical decision support software ‘INRstar’ was developed.

“INRstar was born in Cornwall, and we have remained here as the internet and technology allows us to provide the product all over the UK, using cloud-based technology. The majority of our staff have either grown up in Cornwall or relocated to Cornwall to work with us”.

Dr Mark Sullivan, Medical Director

LumiraDx Care Solutions is the UK market leader for anticoagulation clinical decision support software. The company’s software – INRstar – has been designed to help improve patient safety and outcomes, supporting a more effective and efficient anticoagulation service.

Currently INRstar is used in over 3000 NHS locations in the UK and supports over 300,000 patients. The company has recently launched a patient self-care offering which Clare Gardner, Marketing and People Development Manager, says will “help to give patients the knowledge, skills and confidence to take more ownership of their condition”.

The company covers a breadth of specialism from their ‘Discovery Team’ focusing on the development of next generation technology to keep the business at the forefront of the industry, through to sales and marketing, software development and customer support. “We have a low staff turnover rate with a couple of employees who have ten years’ service this year! Our employees are mostly based in our Tolvaddon office in Cornwall, although we are continuing to expand”.

LumiraDx Care Solutions places significant emphasis on the health and well-being of their employees, ensuring a great work/life balance, offering numerous employee incentives such as free daily lunches and access to a life coach. Staff feeling confident, engaged and supported has contributed to the company’s competitive edge and they are now looking to bring a range of new patient-focused products to market this year.

“Every six months we issue an online staff survey to measure engagement, motivation and well-being. One of the core questions that is asked every time is ‘On a scale of 1 to 5 (1= being not at all and 5= absolutely), how likely would you be to recommend working here to someone you know outside the business?’ This question helps us measure staff satisfaction and happiness as the happier an employee is at work, the more likely they are to be engaged and to recommend us as a great place to work.

The survey helps ensure we keep building on our culture and staff development. We also have six-monthly Learning Reviews for each employee with their line manager to focus on career developments and aspirations, and employee / line manager one-to-ones to keep up to date with how the employee is doing and feeling about their work and ensure we maintain a positive work/life balance. These touch points are really important to ensure staff are happy, motivated and engaged at work”.

The sense of community and employee engagement can be witnessed throughout numerous businesses in Cornwall and is something the region’s businesses are proud of, with employees getting to reap the benefits.

Clare Gardner states that the company prides itself on “its craftsmanship and collaborative way of working – Cornwall provides space for creativity and allows employees to innovate. Understanding the quality that Cornwall offers and the value the region can provide to employees will help with the growth of the business”.

This is a true testament to what our region can offer businesses. Alongside a strong talent pool (with the ability to attract talent from a global audience), a natural, inspirational landscape and a true sense of community, Cornwall also offers excellent connectivity allowing technology-based businesses to access a global market. This is definitely something that LumiraDx Care Solutions is focused on with its future growth plans – “we are part of a global business with a global vision”.

“Cornwall has a rapidly growing profile in the healthcare IT industry and innovations are often featured in national industry press. We are very proud of our part in helping to bring Cornwall into that picture.”

Dr Mark Sullivan, Medical Director