King Fund (commissioned by the six AHSNs) January 2018
- This report charts the journeys of eight innovations across the NHS from creation to widespread use, and draws a series of conclusions about the adoption and spread of innovation in the NHS.
- The case studies reveal common themes:
- New innovations may appear simple to introduce but can have a domino effect – triggering a series of changes to diagnosis and treatment, revealing new patient needs and resulting in big changes to staff and patient roles. Staff need time and resources to implement them.
- The small budget for the adoption and spread of innovation, means that the NHS will struggle to adopt large numbers of innovations and rapidly improve productivity.
- Fragmentation of NHS services remains a barrier.
- Providers need to be able to select and tailor innovations that deliver the greatest value given local challenges and work in the local context.
- The case studies are:
- Florence: telehealth for long-term conditions
- Early diagnosis of chronic liver disease
- Physical health checks for people with severe mental illness
- ESCAPE-pain programme for hip and knee pain
- Secure text messaging with school nursing teams
- Improving diagnosis and treatment for atrial fibrillation
- Age UK care co-ordinator roles
- Emergency department checklists
