Market access reviews and horizon scans: helping the NHS navigate the commercial innovation landscape

HIN Project Managers Hilary Moorhead and Dr Antonio Ruiz-Gonzalez share insights into how horizon scans and market access reviews can support NHS teams. They explain the difference between the two approaches, when each is most useful, and highlight examples of past work that demonstrate their practical impact.

At the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London, we’ve completed over 40 horizon scans and market reviews in recent years, examining more than 1,400 innovations across 20+ clinical and non-clinical themes. These reviews have ranged from cardiovascular disease and cancer pathways to AI in diagnostics and process automation.

With the 10 Year Health Plan setting out the government’s ambitions for achieving significant transformation within the health and care sector, the need to select the right innovations and understand what the medium-term future for innovation in particular areas looks like is increasingly pressing. 

Horizon scans and market reviews are two key tools which can be used to strategically guide innovation selection, helping NHS services to make decisions which maximise impact in the short term and value for money in the longer term. In this article, HIN Project Managers Hilary Moorhead and Dr Antonio Ruiz-Gonzalez explore why they matter, and when they can be most useful for NHS teams. The article also includes examples of past work to illustrate how these tools can support better decision-making and innovation adoption.

What is a horizon scan? 

A horizon scan looks ahead to identify innovations that could transform service delivery in the next 2–5+ years. It is intended to give decision-makers confidence about the timing and scope of investment into innovation.  

For example, it could help services to understand whether the most promising innovations are relatively early-stage and suited to pilots and developmental partnerships, or whether the market is relatively mature and innovations are likely to be ready for large-scale implementation.

Key features

Outputs

The HIN's horizon scans

What is a market access report? 

A market access review focuses on the here and now, identifying companies and solutions that can address immediate challenges. They provide actionable insights for immediate and near-future market positioning and procurement.

Key features

Outputs

The HIN's market access reports

The HIN’s horizon scanning and market access review capabilities

The HIN’s role at the interface between commercial innovation and health and care delivery teams makes us uniquely well-placed to analyse the innovation landscape. Through our Innovator Support programmes including DigitalHealth.London and Mindset-XR, we work with hundreds of the most promising innovators in the UK – and internationally – each year. 

We also work hand-in-hand with frontline NHS and social care teams on transformation and improvement projects across a broad range of clinical areas and service configurations. 

In a fragmented and fast-moving environment, our teams are able to utilise their extensive networks and tried-and-trusted research frameworks to provide comprehensive and reliable assessments of the innovation landscape – allowing our partners to make decisions with confidence.