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NHS and Government back AHSNs to continue to lead innovation under new name

The Government and NHS England have today confirmed their intention to relicense England’s 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) under the revised badge of ‘Health Innovation Networks’ (HINs) to reflect their key role in supporting development and spread of innovation across health services. Following yesterday’s (25 May) meeting of the UK Life Science Council, it […]

Thousands benefit from improved access to innovative diagnostics and life-changing treatments in asthma care

Thousands of people across England are benefiting from improved access to diagnostics and treatments for asthma. To mark World Asthma Day (2 May), AHSNs are celebrating the achievements of two national programmes which have transformed asthma pathways. Asthma is a common health condition, affecting more than 5.4 million people in the UK. It can have […]

AHSNs prove value over first ten years

by Professor Gary Ford, Chief Executive of the Oxford AHSN and Chair of the AHSN Network This month marks ten years since the creation of Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) by NHS England to transform the way the health service identifies, adopts and spreads promising innovations. In the decade since then AHSNs have improved health […]

More than 300 care home staff trained to spot early signs of deterioration

Many care homes are now better prepared to get the right care to their elderly residents when they take a turn for the worse thanks to a training programme run by the Oxford AHSN. RESTORE2 (Recognise Early Soft-signs, Take Observations, Respond, Escalate) is a tool designed to help care home staff to spot early signs […]

Shared learning event highlights progress in maternity and neonatal care

Close to 100 maternity and neonatal (MatNeo) staff from across the Oxford AHSN region and beyond got together in person for the first time in three years at a shared learning event organised by the Oxford Patient Safety Collaborative (PSC) on 8 March – International Women’s Day. The wide-ranging programme highlighted improvements in the care […]

New partnerships aim to tackle inequalities in specific conditions

The NHS and local communities are working together to identify and address healthcare inequalities by improving access to new health technologies and medicines. Over £4 million has been made available to support NHS England’s Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme (InHIP) which builds on the achievements and learning of AHSNs and the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) […]

An introduction to real world evaluation in healthcare: new webinar series

The Oxford AHSN is running a series of free webinars covering the basics of real world evaluation in healthcare. They will draw on successful partnerships with industry and the NHS facilitated by the Oxford AHSN. The sessions are aimed at innovators and clinicians who will gain valuable insights into how to gather real world evidence and […]

New resources help more patients get IV treatment at home instead of hospital

The Oxford AHSN and Oxford University Hospitals have developed a package of resources to support other NHS organisations wanting to deliver intravenous antibiotics to patients in their own homes. The OUH began using elastomeric devices to deliver IV antibiotics in patients’ homes in 2019 through ‘hospital at home’ nursing teams. Previously patients needing IV medication […]

New digital platform which personalises pre-op patient assessment highlighted as example of best practice

The introduction of pre-operative assessment triage is taking a more personalised approach to the individual needs of patients awaiting routine orthopaedic surgery. Potential issues are identified and treated early, leading to fewer procedures being postponed later on. Previously all patients had a face-to-face appointment prior to surgery – now two-thirds of them do not need […]

New framework supports staff wellbeing in NHS talking therapies services

The Oxford AHSN and NHS partners today publish a wellbeing strategy to support staff working in talking therapies (IAPT) services. In the face of increased workplace pressures during the pandemic, the IAPT services in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes worked together on the Model Staff Wellbeing Strategy to strengthen service resilience and staff support. […]