A new report from the King’s Fund, published today and commissioned on behalf of the AHSN Network, charts the journeys of eight innovations from creation to widespread use.
It charts the highs and lows of an innovator’s journey through the NHS – with examples including introducing communications technology for patients with long-term conditions, new care pathways and checklists for busy A&E departments.
Thousands of patients are benefiting from these innovations – but innovators have to overcome some significant barriers.
Common themes identified in the report include:
- Some organisations still need convincing that innovation can solve NHS challenges.
- Providers need to be able to select and tailor innovations that deliver the greatest value taking account of local context.
- Fragmentation of NHS services remains a barrier to adoption and spread of innovation, making it harder develop shared approaches and transmit learning across sites.
New innovations may appear simple to introduce but can have a domino effect – triggering a series of changes to diagnosis and treatment, revealing new patient needs and resulting in big changes to staff and patient roles. That’s why staff need time and resources to implement them.- While the resources available for the adoption and spread of innovation remain dwarfed by investment in research, the NHS will struggle to adopt large numbers of innovations and rapidly improve productivity.
Read the report here.
The findings of the report will be discussed in depth at a live online event hosted by the King’s Fund on 19 January at 10am. More information and booking details here.
Since 2013 England’s 15 AHSNs have spread over 200 innovations through 11,000 locations, benefiting 6 million people, creating over 500 jobs and leveraging £330 million investment to improve health and support the NHS, social care and industry innovators.