Can AHSNs push to improve innovation uptake?
An innovation review could see changes to the responsibilities of academic health science networks (AHSNs).
NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have plans to simplify the 38 innovation funding pots (run by six organisations), health minister Lord O’Shaughnessy told Health Service Journal (HSJ).
A joint review into innovation by NHS England and DHSC will be published later this year.
Lord O’Shaughnessy said that AHSNs would become more influential, with more power to scale up innovation projects and spread them throughout the NHS. He hoped that more investors would be attracted to UK projects if proven innovations were seen to spread rapidly through the NHS.
He also anticipated faster adoption of new medicine because of the accelerated access pathway and price negotiations with pharma companies.
Further information
HSJ: AHSNs beefed up amid overhaul of £750m ‘innovation’ budgets