We live in an exciting era of healthcare innovation, with a stream of new technologies and services coming onto the market. As a result of Covid-19, we’ve also been living in an era of unprecedented challenges to our health and care services.
The West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) is right at the heart of the transformation of our regional healthcare system. And as one of 15 AHSNs across England commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Office for Life Sciences to improve health and drive economic growth, we also benefit from being part of a national network.
Here in the West of England we are interacting with over 500 companies working in digital health and care technology, informatics and life sciences. This is a significant focus for us to build on, so if you are an innovator working in this space or a healthcare professional looking to source innovations, we would love to hear from you.
Embedded in the regional health and care economy with links to industry, research bodies and universities, we are in a unique position to:
• Build workforce capability to deliver change and adopt new ways of working
• Support culture and leadership
• Bring evidence into practice
• Identify gaps and priorities and signpost proven solutions or develop new ones
• Provide space for people to connect and collaborate
• Share lessons and best practice.
We understand healthcare and we understand innovators. We work to identify what is needed to support healthcare, and use our networks to identify and nurture innovation to meet those needs. With our unique expertise and cross-sector connections, we understand both the ‘push and pull’ of demand on healthcare innovation.
While NHS organisations might be clear on the need to embrace the opportunities offered by the latest innovations to transform healthcare delivery, improve patient experience and reduce costs, it isn’t always easy to know where to start or which sales pitch to trust.
The health and care landscape can be equally confusing to navigate for innovators. How do you know what the current gaps and needs are? Where can you get meaningful feedback on your idea or product? How do you sell to the NHS?
This is where the West of England AHSN comes in.
We are the bridge linking all the key players with a role in innovating healthcare, bringing together patients and public, the NHS, social care, industry, researchers and academics, and the voluntary sector.
But we’re not simply a match-making service.
While an important aspect of our work is to help the NHS to identify solutions in which to invest and companies to partner with, we have a much greater role.
The role of the West of England AHSN is to aid and support individuals and organisations through this journey as both a champion and critical friend.
We help ensure NHS organisations and staff are equipped and in the right place to adopt innovation. We help to build health and care ecosystems, with the culture, leadership and pathways ready to accept and maximise new ways of working.
Find out more about the resources and learning events on offer through our West of England Academy to support innovative thinking and working in health and care at www.weahsn.net/west-of-england-academy.
We have in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the healthcare innovation pipeline – from seed-funding and incubator support for new product development; feasibility studies and real world evaluation; through to commercialisation, procurement, spread and adoption.
Visit our Innovation Exchange, the place for healthcare innovators to find expertise, funding, support and collaborators: www.innovationexchange.co.uk.
Because our team has inside, in-depth knowledge of both NHS and private sector systems, structures and cultures, we are well-placed to broker relationships and create collaborations that drive lasting change for our healthcare services and bring genuine benefit to patients and the population.
To find out more about our work and to see how we might be able to support yours, visit www.weahsn.net.
