South west London to help shape national blueprint for health and care innovation

South West London has been selected as one of just seven Iregions across England to take part in a new national programme led by the Health Foundation.

Delivered in partnership with the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London, this 12 month programme aims to explore how local systems and innovation partners can support the adoption and spread across the NHS. It comes at a pivotal time, as the government shapes its long-term vision for the NHS through the upcoming 10-Year Health Plan.

With more pressure on health and care services and fewer resources, it’s more important than ever to support and spread innovations that make a real difference. The programme will study and support innovation taking place in South West London and six other regions, with the aim of capturing best practice and making policy recommendations to accelerate innovation adoption across the country.

The south west London health and care system has become a fertile ground for innovation, with several ongoing projects aligned to the government’s three “key shifts”

These include:

• The South West London Digital Pioneer Fellowship, an award-nominated programme for staff developing digital and leadership skills through the delivery of real-world transformation work.

• The Brazil Model, a groundbreaking personalised approach to public health which has been scaled across the region to improve access to screening and immunisation.

• The use of virtual wards, with south west London now recognised as a national exemplar system having helped thousands of patients avoid hospital admission.

Over the next eight months, the Health Foundation will observe how participating ICBs approach the adoption and spread of innovation. In addition to capturing learning, the programme will provide hands-on support to increase the speed, impact and sustainability of local innovations. A peer learning network will be established, and practical learning resources will be developed to support wider adoption across the NHS.

Dr John Byrne, Chief Medical Officer at SWL ICB said:

“SWL ICB is thrilled to be chosen as one of seven regions in England to be part of this exciting programme. The NHS and wider health and care system is at a critical point; maximising the spread and adoption of innovation is vital if we are to overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities in front of us. The South West London Integrated Care System has a proud tradition of innovation to improve care for patients and we look forward to collaborating with others across the country and sharing our learning.”

Dr Amanda Begley, Executive Director of Digital and Transformation at HIN South London said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with SWL ICB and the Health Foundation on this exciting discovery project. The innovation ecosystem in South West London brings together clinicians, innovators, academics, and patients and the public to deliver against our system’s priorities; we look forward to strengthening this collaboration further and helping more patients benefit from innovations more quickly.”

Alison White, Head of Innovation at HIN South London said:

“We are really pleased to be partnering with the Health Foundation and other ICBs across the country on this learning programme. Making sure we accelerate the use of proven innovations to improve the lives of the residents of south west London is more important now than ever before.”