14-Jan-20 | News

University of Portsmouth talks to Dr Nasser Siabi, CEO of Microlink after joining their pioneering SIGHT Program

SIGHT- Supporting Innovation and Growth in Healthcare Technologies Launch

With over twenty-five years of experience in delivering assistive technology solutions to a wide range of fields of education and employment, Microlink PC Ltd have become the largest independent assistive technology solutions in Europe. Microlink provide over 7000 products and services split over more than 52 distinct categories that are designed to support a range of physical and mental health needs from Dyslexia, sensory loss, anxieties and back injuries and Arthritis.

To date the company have supported over a quarter of a million people who struggle in their daily lives with a range of health conditions. They stock the largest range of technology and tools in the UK and their workplace adjustment service is embraced as best practice for some of the largest corporations in the country.

A major challenge experienced by the company over the years has been the need to continually raise awareness, at all levels of society from the workplace to government, of the problems faced by individuals with health conditions seeking success in both education and employment. Progress on this issue has been led by the company’s vision of leading on the creation of a truly inclusive society that embraces diversity and releases personal potential.

These noble aims have led Microlink to become a key influencer at government level, an achievement which was recently recognised by the company winning the Diversity and Inclusivity Initiative of the Year Award in the Disability diversity strand at the Inclusive Tech Alliance (ITA) Awards in Dec 2019. Managing Director, Dr Nasser Siabi OBE, sees the SIGHT programme as an indicator of the national need for new technological development in support of all aspects of healthcare, and an excellent opportunity to build on previous success in raising the awareness of the capability of the latest assistive technologies.

Reflecting on the programme, Nasser states: ‘The recent launch of the SIGHT programme is perfectly timed for helping Microlink to deploy the latest assistive technologies in the healthcare sector. We are excited by the prospect of engaging with the programme in order to better understand the challenges faced by the NHS with respect to assistive technologies.’ Microlink also recognise the benefits of closer engagement with the NHS. Nasser continues: ‘The programme represents a great opportunity for healthcare sector SMEs to explore new market applications of their products and services.’ Likewise, the premise of the programme is in harmony with the company’s own inspirational vision, as Nasser outlines: ‘Anything which reduces the gap between technological innovation and healthcare application, for the benefit of our customers and society as a whole, is warmly welcomed by Microlink.’

As one of the earliest members of the SIGHT programme, Microlink have already started to turn this vision into actions. They are exploring the potential for a patient trial at the Queen Alexandra hospital, Cosham, for their latest technology that seeks to support mental health conditions. The team are also keen to develop a much more rigorous knowledge within the company of the process of conducting technology deployments within the NHS. To this end a number of employees have already attended a SIGHT training course on patient and public engagement and the pathways of research within the hospital.

Through the SIGHT programme Microlink have identified another means by which their vision for a more inclusive and supportive society can be advanced