News

A new report, the Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme (InHIP) Impact and Learning Report, reflects on a nationwide effort where teams collaborated with local communities to tackle healthcare inequalities. This initiative focuses on improving access to the latest health technologies and medicines, ensuring underserved populations benefit from innovative healthcare solutions.

NHS England’s InHIP programme is a collaboration between the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC), NHS England’s National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme and the Health Innovation Network, delivered in partnership with integrated care systems (ICSs). It aims to address local healthcare inequalities experienced by deprived and other under-served populations. ​

Project teams (comprising of clinical and non-clinical expertise) from across the country are working together with their local communities to identify, address and minimise healthcare inequalities through projects to improve access to the latest health technologies and medicines.​

These technologies and medicines are focused on five clinical areas of priority that closely align with the national Core20PLUS5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities, which includes maternity, mental health, respiratory, cancer diagnosis and cardiovascular disease.

Click here to download the report

As highlighted in the report, over 34,000 people from underserved groups or deprived areas have benefitted from InHIP Wave 1 interventions, with around 8,000 patients gaining access to an innovative product on a treatment pathway.

Over 1,200 project sites were able to deliver a new pathway and / or innovation to patients. Almost 4,000 patients had broader health needs identified that resulted in them being referred on to additional services beyond the original core project focus.

You can hear more about our work to tackle health inequalities in our latest podcast episode, featuring Professor Bola Owolabi, Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England. Click here to listen to the podcast.

The link between sports initiatives and health, aimed at improving access to services for underserved populations across Yorkshire and the Humber, is one of the many case studies featured in the report.

This initiative sought to address healthcare disparities among underserved groups. By partnering with Yorkshire Sport and their Active Partnerships, the public health team engaged with individuals who typically do not access healthcare services. Integrating health services with sports helped to enhance the accessibility and approachability of health advice. You can read more about this initiative on page 37 of the report.

You can also explore other activities we supported, working in partnership with our local NHS providers, community groups and VCSE organisations, such as delivering health checks to diverse communities using faith settings and community hubs across Bradford. in our latest Impact Report.