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Greater impact on patient outcomes down to stronger collaboration

Prof Gary Ford photoBy Professor Gary Ford CBE, Chief Executive, Oxford AHSN

The health and care landscape has changed significantly since we were formed in 2013. We are working increasingly closely with the four Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships across our region. We are also at the heart of emerging Accountable Care Systems – with four of the eight established nationally at least partially within our borders.

Added to that we are home to three ‘Global Digital Exemplar’ NHS organisations and another ‘Fast Follower’, providing strong foundations for our ambition to become a ‘Digital Innovation Hub’. The Oxford region now has a second NIHR Biomedical Research Centre providing more opportunities to translate research into practice.

These are emblematic of the stronger partnerships that have developed between the NHS, universities and industry. The AHSN’s contribution over the last four years to this broader partnership working in the region has been to deliver over 150 collaborative projects, introduce 50 innovations and establish more than 30 industry partnerships.

AHSN collaborative projects infographicNationally we’re also contributing to greater collaboration between England’s 15 AHSNs to support the spread and adoption of evidence-based innovation in key areas such as atrial fibrillation. We’re also seeing more involvement of patients and offering practical support to meet the needs of innovators, such as our ‘roadmap’ guide for digital health developers launched in December 2017.

We are strengthening our work with regional, national and international partners across health, commerce and research with a focus on three key areas: Improvement, Innovation and Industry – supported by Involvement, Information and Invention.

There is now a recognition by NHS England and the Office for Life Sciences of AHSNs’ unique role in delivering Impact on improving patient outcomes.

I am optimistic and confident that our regional partners can deliver even greater impact on patient outcomes through accelerating uptake of innovation and dissemination of best practice over our second five-year licence starting in April 2018.

  • Read our latest quarterly report (October-December 2017) here.