Welcome
Those of you with an eagle eye will have noticed that KSS AHSN’s work continues to evolve, informed by the priorities of our partners and funders, and that this change is reflected in a new look for Collaborate. Our new images and words reflect the role of AHSNs nationally: delivering better patient experiences, improving clinical outcomes, driving down the cost of care through innovation and stimulating wealth creation.
Innovation is immensely important in achieving those goals. It can help address a number of the health and care sector’s most imposing challenges such as rising demand, workforce challenges, finances etc. So it is unsurprising that AHSNs invest so much time in working with industry, supporting and developing value propositions for proven products and services and making introductions to the NHS. Yesterday’s AHSN Network “Bridging the Gap” industry event was a great example of how this works in practice.
With over 30 representatives from 10 AHSNs, our partners and national bodies, along with more than 120 delegates from industry, the day was a stellar opportunity to connect people from all over the country to drive innovations faster. Our Head of Innovation, Rob Berry, led the day yesterday and tells us more about it in this edition of Collaborate.
Innovation takes many shapes and forms and one of the things we are keen to do more with is artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and data usage. Working closely with HIN AHSN in South London who lead on digital for the AHSNs, KSS AHSN is taking a national lead on the AHSN Network AI initiative. We are currently mapping where AI is being used and what are the barriers to wider adoption, as well as defining the opportunities it brings for health and care. Individuals and organisations working across health and care are being asked to take part in the first national survey to inform how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be harnessed better. If you are interested in taking part, keep an eye out for the survey which will be circulated shortly and come chat with us at the Health and Care Expo in Manchester in September, where we hope to publish our findings.
And finally, I don’t think it has escaped anyone’s notice that this year the NHS will celebrate its 70th birthday on 5 July! To celebrate, the AHSN Network has teamed-up with NHS Digital to showcase some of the latest healthcare innovations via an online 70 day countdown calendar. Behind every door is an innovation that shines a spotlight on some of the latest healthcare innovations that are making a positive difference to patients, carers, staff and NHS organisations. The #NHS70Innovations campaign started on 25 April, which marked 70 days until the NHS turns 70. There will be a new innovation revealed every day through to 5 July. You can explore the calendar at www.nhs70innovations.org.uk and follow the #NHS70Innovations hashtag on social media.
And finally, we are looking for an outstanding, suitably qualified and experienced non-executive director (NED) to complement and add value to the KSS AHSN Board in achieving its strategic objectives. This NED will also chair the Audit Committee and will bring commercial perspective to the role. If this sounds like you or someone you know, please take a look at the role in further detail.
Thank you, have a great week
Guy Boersma
Managing Director
A Birds eye view
Rob Berry – Head of Innovation, KSS AHSN
I am delighted to be able to share with you some of the content, conversations and learnings from an event in London yesterday that demonstrated the collective working between AHSNs and a range of innovation agencies, programmes and networks.
Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) are commissioned by NHS England and the Office for Life Sciences to provide services at the interface between the NHS (as well as the wider health system) and industry. It’s our role to “bridge the gap” between the sectors.
Yesterday’s event was a great opportunity to engage with AHSNs, NICE, NHS England, NIHR and other agencies and to understand how, when and why companies are necessarily referred between them, as they navigate the ‘innovation pathway’. As well as providing experience and insights to companies, opportunities were taken to set out the expectations these agencies, programmes and networks have of those companies wishing to access valuable resources as they progress towards the NHS or wider health system.
The commitment and willingness that made yesterday’s event happen reflects the importance of industry when it comes to addressing the challenges faced by health and care services. It also reflected well the ability of the AHSNs and their commercial teams to manage the wide range, state and experience of companies that they face.
Yesterday was great demonstration of what we can do as a collective, simplifying access with, through or to AHSNs and wider expertise for industry and creating the right conditions for new solutions – services, products and technologies – to flourish and spread faster.
Network news
Bridging the Gap video
Watch our animation on how the AHSN can bridge the gap between the NHS and innovation. Find out how we can support you with your value proposition and how our connections and relationships can put you in the room with the people who matter.
Putting citizens at the heart of healthcare transformation
- Collaboration with Southern Denmark – international knowledge transfer
- Kent and Medway STP – Michael Ridgwell explains all
- Citizen empowerment – Peter Julius tells us why and how
- Accelerated Access Review – Rob Berry has the lowdown
- AliveCor AF project – rolling out across the region
- KSS AHSN collaboration with HIN – sharing success
- KSS Darzi Fellowship – into its second year
AHSN Network impact
The AHSN Network video demonstrates the scale of our work over the last five years.
We handed the mic over to some of our healthcare and industry partners and asked them to describe the way we have worked together and the impact from our collaboration.
