Member Article

North East and North Cumbria NHS innovation continues

The approval of the Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) for the North East and North Cumbria has been announced today by NHS England, which recognises the ideas originating from the NHS in the North East and North Cumbria and turns them into treatments, accessible technologies and medicines.

This will ensure that the best possible use will be made of precious NHS resources and will ensure that the most advanced treatments, technologies and medicines are available to patients.

A key purpose of the Network will be to facilitate the trialling of ideas and their translation into commercial products and services, in partnership with the NHS, industry and academia, throughout the complete innovation journey, thereby creating wealth and improving the healthcare provision of the region.

Dr Nicola Wesley, Head of NHS Innovations North and interim Innovation Director for the AHSN said “the AHSN is a unique opportunity for SMEs and industry wishing to gain access to the NHS. The AHSN will act as a catalyst for the engagement of SMEs with senior NHS Trust representatives to facilitate the conversion of ideas into tangible solutions that can make a real benefit to patient care as well as boosting the prosperity of the region”.

The AHSN is an organisation of key core members including the NHS Foundation Trusts, Universities and the Clinical Commissioning Groups across the North East and North Cumbria and was developed with the aim of harnessing and influencing innovation across the region.

It presents a unique opportunity to pull together the adoption and spread of innovation with clinical research and trials, informatics, education, and healthcare delivery.

Using research, innovation and the dissemination of knowledge the AHSN will have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of people living in the region, as well as contributing to the economic prosperity of the area.

Sir Leonard Fenwick, Chief Executive of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Interim Chair of the AHSN said:

“Approval as an Academic Health Science Network serves to reflect the strong position of our Region and shall be the platform to promote, enhance and translate innovation and best practice across the healthcare spectrum. This should enable rapid benefit for patients, education, training and industry alike.

“It will provide the funding needed for the talented individuals who work within the NHS to turn their brilliant ideas into treatments that are used every day across the NHS”

The success of the North East and North Cumbria has been announced today alongside the approval of 14 other AHSNs covering the whole of England. The AHSNs will share a common ethos to help develop solutions to healthcare problems and get existing solutions spread more quickly by building strong relationships with the regional scientific and academic communities and industry.

Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for The Department of Health said: “The 15 AHSNs will have a major role in improving patient outcomes and population health right across the country through faster identification, adoption and spread of proven innovations and best practice. This will be achieved through collaboration within each AHSN and across AHSNs, and through working collaboratively with industry.

“The AHSNs provide an important mechanism for achieving a step-change in the way the NHS translates research, innovation and best practice into effective and cost-effective treatments and services for patients.”

The ultimate aim of the AHSN will be to help develop better technology and make better use of the skills of NHS staff, providing it with the tools necessary to tackle head- on, the changing needs of the population and ensuring that patients get the care they deserve.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Graham Vincent .