NHS searches for healthcare innovators
pharmafile | January 8, 2015 | News story | Medical Communications, Sales and Marketing | NHS, UK, innovation, programme, sir bruce keogh
NHS England and medical director Sir Bruce Keogh have launched an NHS Innovation Accelerator Programme.
The initiative will invite healthcare pioneers from around the world to develop new leading technologies, services and processes.
In conjunction with hosts UCLPartners and The Health Foundation, the agenda kick-started by Keogh will focus on the conditions and cultural changes needed to enable the NHS to adopt new inventions.
“The Innovation Accelerator will build on our enviable history of discovery and innovation by embracing cutting-edge healthcare innovators from around the world to improve patient care while reducing costs and providing better value for the taxpayer,” says the NHS medical director.
The NHS is hoping the campaign will improve outcomes and give patients more equitable access to the latest products, services and technology.
Sir Bruce adds: “Britain has made a significant contribution to medical science and humankind. The smallpox vaccine invented by Edward Jenner is said to have saved more lives than have been lost in all wars. Sir Ronald Ross won the first British Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology for his discovery that malaria was carried by mosquitoes.
“Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin and Crick and Watson discovered the structure of DNA. We are responsible for the first test tube baby, the first stem cell transplant and the ability to stop and restart the heart – which is the basis of modern heart surgery,” continues Sir Bruce.
The programme will provide successful candidates with a range of support to develop and spread their innovations – such as access to international leaders in healthcare development and established networks through high calibre mentors.
A service under pressure
As charted in its Five Year Forward View, the NHS is fronting many burdens including rising costs and constrained budgets, plus an ageing population and more long-term conditions.
One of the facets this move might hope to address is instances such as the NHS failing to keep up with its digital generation of patients.
Keen to latch on to any form of innovation the Department of Health did announce in its Personalised Health and Care 2020 strategy that ideas are in place also for an ‘NHS app store’ – along with further initiatives to digitalise records over paper.
The NHS, and seemingly the UK public who are protective over the service, realise that state-of-the-art development, cost-effective solutions and new ways of delivering care are essential for its survival.
This new NHS programme – which welcomes applicants until 17 February 2015 – will look to deliver these priorities it says in supporting documentation covering the programme.
Dr Mahiben Maruthappu, who is the senior fellow in NHS England’s chief executive’s office, comments: “Innovation is integral to a sustainable and successful NHS, and scaling cutting-edge innovations can improve patient care.
“The NHS Innovation Accelerator aims to build on our proud tradition of supporting advancements in healthcare, helping to secure our position as one of the best and most progressive healthcare systems in the world,” he concludes.
Tom Robinson
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