Richard Stubbs
Chair, Health Innovation Network
Learn why a dedicated focus on the implementation of innovation is required to enable the future transformation of the NHS.
Our decade-long experience within the health and social care sector has shown the opportunity that innovation offers to tackle some of the NHS’ biggest challenges. The new Government has highlighted the three major shifts required to deliver a transformation in the way that the NHS cares for our patients. If we are to truly deliver this change, then we have to do things differently and also do different things.
Analogue to digital across NHS
Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovations can increase capacity and efficiency. They can improve diagnostics, boost NHS productivity and support patients to better manage their conditions. For example, the BraveAI app, which uses advanced algorithms to help predict a patient’s risk of emergency hospital admission, showed on average a 60% reduction in A&E attendance, a 35% reduction in the number of falls and an 8.7% reduction in the number of ambulance call-outs in a pilot in Somerset.1
Artificial intelligence (AI) and
digital innovations can increase
capacity and efficiency.
Hospital to community
Millions of hospital services can be delivered elsewhere. Innovation can transform high-volume care pathways (such as long-term conditions, frailty and cancer) at scale by enabling diagnostics, monitoring, self-management and treatment in other care settings or at home. Dr-Julian, a service that provides virtual appointments delivered by proprietary video, voice and text technology platforms, could offer a cost-benefit ratio of £1: £2.7 if scaled across the NHS.2
Treatment to prevention
In the cardiovascular disease (CVD) area, at Health Innovation Network, we have 174 high-promising innovations in our national innovation pipeline. This includes CVDACTION, a smart data tool that identifies patients who are at high risk so that GPs can optimise treatment at scale to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Getting innovation right in the NHS isn’t just about finding and testing new ideas or ways of working. While that is of course vital, it is not the end goal. We have an amazing track record of discovery and research in the UK, but the NHS also has more pilots than British Airways. We need to redouble our focus and funding on ensuring that every proven new idea gets into the hands of every clinician and patient who would benefit from it.
[1] Health Innovation South West, Preventative healthcare: discovery, development and deployment of BRAVE AI in the South West. 2024.
[2] Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex. Transforming lives through innovation. Annual review 2024-24.
