Health Innovation Networks key to NHS transformation  

A new report by the NHS, published during November following a major national review, sets out a route map to transform health and care services by unlocking the game-changing potential for innovation. 

England’s 15 Health Innovation Networks – including the East Midlands – have collaborated with NHS England and other partners to develop the recommendations that form the building blocks for the new national NHS Innovation Ecosystem Programme. 

Led by Roland Sinker, NHS England’s National Director for Life Sciences, the recommendations focus on the potential to transform health and care by looking at how the NHS develops and adopts healthcare innovations. 

The report highlights the NHS’s unique position to become a leader in testing and implementing new technologies through its scale, integration with the UK’s thriving life sciences sector, and access to comprehensive health data. 

The report also calls for urgent action to build stronger partnerships between the NHS and suppliers. 

Key recommendations include: 

• Setting clear priorities with aligned funding and incentives. 

• Standardising tools, policy and guidance around innovation enablers including data sharing. 

• Building workforce skills, capabilities and capacity for innovation. 

• Developing and sharing best practice approaches across health and care systems. 

Health Innovation East Midlands Managing Director Nicole McGlennon, welcomed the report and recommendations: 

“The publication of this key report represents a pivotal moment for the NHS and wider health and care system,” she said. 

“The NHS is a unique and precious resource, but we all know that it faces major challenges – to address these we must embrace innovation to ensure a greater focus on prevention, and providing care and treatment that is sustainable and meets the needs of our diverse communities. 

“The UK has fantastic potential to lead globally in healthcare innovation – testing and then adopting transformative technologies and ways of working, at scale. 

“Through our track record of achievement and knowledge around the conditions needed for innovation to be successfully adopted and sustained, England’s 15 Health Innovation Networks are uniquely placed to support this ambition.” 

The review and recommendations have been welcomed by the Health Innovation Network, the collaboration of England’s 15 local health innovation networks. 

Key extracts from the report that mention the role of HINs include: 

• HINs are an essential part of the innovation infrastructure and their role in supporting regions and ICBs should be strengthened. 

• A clearer agreement is needed on the role HINs can play in supporting ICBs, with consideration of capacity, capability gaps and skills, particularly skills in specialist areas such as IP, data governance, commercial contracting and evaluation. 

• The central coordinating function of HINs should be further strengthened to support the national impact of the network and provide a forum through which industry, charities and national bodies can interact with the HINs on a national basis. 

Other partners involved in developing the Innovation Ecosystem Programme include industry bodies (the Association of British HealthTech Industries and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry), the Government’s Department of Health and Social Care and Office for Life Sciences, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and National Voices.