A worldwide call has been launched for innovators to partner with local health and care systems in trialling new technologies, digital services and other innovations with the potential to deliver big benefits to patients and taxpayers alike.
NHS England and the UK government are calling for expressions of interest from innovators from any sector in the UK and overseas who want to test their ideas to deliver health services in better ways at scale, and in a real clinical setting.
Working in partnership with the 15 Academic Health Science Networks the programme will identify around five ‘test beds’ that will receive national support for implementing high potential innovations that respond to local clinical needs. These test beds may include combinations of GPs, hospitals, community health teams, social care and the voluntary sector. They will need to have the ability to implement innovations on a large scale, and to collect evidence of the improvement of outcomes delivered to patients.
The announcement is the latest stage in implementing the NHS Five Year Forward View, which set out additional steps the NHS will take to accelerate innovation in better ways of delivering health and care. It also builds on the UK Life Sciences Strategy and the NHS Innovation Health and Wealth Proposals.
The application process closes on 29 May 2015.
