The innovation mission
This week the 15 emerging AHSNs have all had their designation confirmed so I will start with a restatement of why AHSNs are needed now.
The country faces economic challenges and needs the UK life sciences sector to grow faster and support the country’s climb out of recession and slow economic growth. Local Government and the NHS face the demands of a growing and ageing population and increasing public expectation. They will be meeting these with ‘flat cash’ or reducing budgets. Their challenge is to do better with less. Doing more of the same is no longer an option in this funding environment. Service transformation is needed. Innovation is the way to meet these challenges..
AHSNs are here to stimulate and identify new innovations for adoption and spread across Kent, Surrey and Sussex as well as spread existing best practice. Strengthening the collaboration between industry, academia, local government and the NHS to stimulate innovation is what we’re about.
Designation feedback
On Monday, David Clayton-Smith and I met with NHS England to be debriefed on our Licensing Panel interview and hear about next steps. We were complimented on having done “exceptionally well” to get the AHSN to where it is in a region that has limited cross-regional infrastructure, so thanks for your role in securing that feedback. We were told that our progress with Industry has been encouraging and we were encouraged to keep moving in the same direction. Likewise, they recognised that the Enhancing Quality & Recovery programmes are an asset that could be used to support industry collaboration and the identification and adoption of new innovations as well as the spread of existing best practice.
Next steps include commenting on a draft five year licence to operate, meeting with NHS England to present our business plan and agreeing a contract that assumes NHS England 2013/14 funding of £2.7 million.
Kind regards
Guy Boersma
Managing Director (interim)
Kent, Surrey & Sussex Academic Health Science Network
New Academic Health Science Networks announced
NHS England has today (Thursday 23 May, 2013) confirmed the designation of 15 new Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs).
AHSNs have the potential to transform health and healthcare by putting innovation at the heart of the NHS. This will improve patient outcomes as well as contributing to economic growth.
AHSNs present a unique opportunity to pull together the adoption and spread of innovation with clinical research and trials, informatics, education, and healthcare delivery. They will develop solutions to healthcare problems and get existing solutions spread more quickly by building strong relationships with their regional scientific and academic communities and industry.
NHS England’s Chief Executive, Sir David Nicholson, said: “The NHS is full of brilliant people with brilliant ideas. To spread ideas right across the NHS means working collaboratively with all those who have an interest.
“AHSNs offer a more systematic delivery mechanism so that innovation spreads quickly and successfully through the NHS, making the best possible use of precious NHS resources and in ensuring the most advanced treatments, technologies and medicines are available to patients.”
The Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia: Annual report of progress
This progress report sets out the achievements toward delivering major improvements in dementia care and research by 2015. Click here to see the full report.