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The Curia’s NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission brought together leaders in the NHS, life sciences, clinical research, government and the third sector to explore four key focus areas of action for the NHS: Health Data, Integration, Clinical Research and Scaling.

Through detailed inquiry sessions with thought leaders, the Commission aimed to establish practical, implementable solutions that will improve both patient outcomes and promote economic growth. Examples of good practice in innovation helped to draw learning and outline plans for implementation across the sector to improve the lives of patients. By bringing together key strands of policy and developing effective implementation strategies through comprehensive research, the Commission seeks to see change at every level within the NHS.

Following this extensive work, a report was launched in December 2022.

Download the full report.

Some of the key points highlighted in the report

The report stresses how innovation plays a pivotal role in supporting the NHS to improve service delivery and patient care and looks at how it could be more easily scaled in the NHS and care systems to improve productivity.

The debate around health inequalities and the importance to design and implement services that respond to the needs of all the communities we serve is another crucial theme.

“Our NHS should represent and reflect the communities we serve. This does not just apply to our front-line workforce. The way that we develop and adopt innovation and technology must also be based around our core mission to serve all our population, and to ensure that the transformation of our health service reduces, and not widens, health inequalities.” Richard Stubbs

These topical points align with our mission as an AHSN to work closely with our NHS colleagues, industry and academia to help identify solutions that can benefit patients; help alleviate pressure on healthcare systems and ensure that good practice spreads across geographies.

At the launch event, the chairs – Lord James O’Shaughnessy and Professor Mike Bewick – hosted a panel discussion, in partnership with Chamber UK, to talk about the biggest issues facing the health and life science sector.

Richard Stubbs, CEO of Yorkshire & Humber AHSN and Vice Chair of the AHSN Network, and a member of The Curia’s NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission, joined the panel on the day to answer questions on health innovation in life sciences.

Find out more about some of the key points discussed on the day in this video.

Further reading

Read Richard Stubbs’ blog ‘Greater diversity in innovation is more important than ever – and we need your help’