Dr Luke Evans, a GP and Member of Parliament for Bosworth, has met with a panel of leading scientists and medical experts to discuss the future of medical research and development in the East Midlands.

Meeting professors from Midlands Innovation Health, a partnership of seven university Health and Medicals Schools based in the region Dr Luke heard about their collective work to support regional and national COVID-19 efforts, as well as the future of medical research in a post-COVID world.

Dr Luke said: “It was wonderful to meet such a great team of dedicated scientists and to hear how our region has the most advanced, well-connected academic NHS infrastructures in the UK.

“The East Midlands very much benefits from our culturally diverse and stable communities which leads to our region being really important in the research and development of medicines, it’s important to know that our geography, mixed with scientific expertise, means that collectively we are all contributing to the pandemic effort – whether we realise it or not.

“Away from the fight against coronavirus it was great to hear how are universities are working together to support the MOD Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Stanford Hall, as well as potential leaps forward in the field of non-military medical rehabilitation.”

In 2019 Midlands Innovation Health published a joint report with the Midlands Engine which showed that the Midlands has the largest medical technologies sector of any other UK region, and is the second largest UK employer of people in the sector. Midlands’ medical technologies are worth £1.6bn GVA to the regional and national economy.

Dr Luke added “Medical technology is becoming an increasingly important sector locally, and as the Midlands we educate 20% of the UK medical workforce, not only does it bring tangible health benefits to our community it also bring highly skilled, professional jobs to our economy.”