GSK joins new NHS innovation initiative
pharmafile | December 22, 2009 | News story | | BMW, BT, GSK, HIEC, NHS
GlaxoSmithKline, as well as less obvious names such as BMW and BT, are among the companies involved in the NHS’s new innovation initiative.
They are part of the 17 newly-formed Health Innovation and Education Clusters (HIECs) announced this week by health minister Ann Keen.
She described them as “special partnerships that draw on the wealth of skills and experience of their members to improve the development of high quality care and services”.
Applications to create HIECs were invited by the Department of Health in April as part of the Next Stage Review.
The concept was developed by representatives from the NHS and universities sector as one way to deliver better healthcare.
The idea is that getting private sector, educational and NHS organisations together will promote innovation in public health.
HIECs are tasked with providing professional education and training and speeding up the adoption of research.
“These projects will attract and encourage the best talent who can recognise and rapidly adopt new and innovative healthcare and treatment,” Keen added.
It all means patients should benefit more quickly from new developments, she concluded.
The successful bids were chosen by an independent panel chaired by Higher Education Funding Council for England chief executive Sir Alan Langlands.
The government is putting £11 million into these projects this financial year to support their set-up, with just under £10 million due in year two.
Their formation ticks a couple of key NHS boxes in that they are using a decentralised model to help drive up standards in healthcare.
Sir Alan emphasised that it was local patients who would benefit from the initiative.
“The flexibility of the HIEC model means that the vision of each one is appropriate and specific to its local area.”
“The standard of applications has been really high and we have been impressed by the high profile names that want to be involved in improving NHS care,” he said.
Strategic Health Authorities (SHA) co-ordinated the bids and held regional events for interested parties as part of the process.
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