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The NHS has a history of innovation, but still struggles to identify and adopt new ideas. This could change by providing innovators with resources to scale their innovations, teaching system leaders how to adopt innovation, and rewarding adopters in the NHS.
As the support partner for The Health Foundation’s Adopting Innovation Programme, Innovation Unit worked with four health and care systems to set up innovation hubs where they could develop knowledge, skills and confidence to identify, adapt and adopt the innovations which make a difference to people’s lives.
The four sites are:
- Bradford and Craven – helping local people to age well
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – aiming to reduce health inequalities
- Dorset Innovation Hub – connecting all their health and care organisations to work together
- Manchester Innovation Hub – adopting digital innovations to improve health outcomes for people served by Manchester NHS Foundation Trust
"IU brings deep subject matter expertise, alongside impressive connectivity with renowned change practitioners and policy makers. IU offers an unparalleled level of insight to help shape our vision for innovation and improvement."Local Hub Sponsor
"The support we have received from IU has been excellent. The blend of skills and insights available through IU has been unique and I would wholeheartedly recommend IU to other health and care systems."Local Hub Sponsor
The approach
Innovation Unit will provide proactive and responsive support including:
Independent readiness assessments
Using evidence-based frameworks and methods to understand each hub’s vision and plans, and help them identify strengths, opportunities and challenges.
Using evidence-based frameworks and methods to understand each hub’s vision and plans, and help them identify strengths, opportunities and challenges.
Innovation coaching
Creating safe spaces for hub leads and teams, offering non-directive support and challenge and helping them navigate complex relationships and the messy processes of change.
Creating safe spaces for hub leads and teams, offering non-directive support and challenge and helping them navigate complex relationships and the messy processes of change.
Capability building support
Helping hubs develop key knowledge, skills and behaviours through targeted support, practical workshops and the development of bespoke resources and tools.
Helping hubs develop key knowledge, skills and behaviours through targeted support, practical workshops and the development of bespoke resources and tools.
Learning support
Facilitating Communities of Practice and Learning Labs to help Hubs share insights, connect with external experts, and build knowledge and confidence in specific areas, such as adaptation, coproduction, mobilising support, procurement, adaptive leadership, planning for sustainability etc.
Facilitating Communities of Practice and Learning Labs to help Hubs share insights, connect with external experts, and build knowledge and confidence in specific areas, such as adaptation, coproduction, mobilising support, procurement, adaptive leadership, planning for sustainability etc.
So far, over £4million has been unlocked, including grant funding from The Health Foundation and in-kind funding from local systems, to ensure hubs:
- Test and refine their case for change, create buy-in and build the systems and relationships they need to sustain collaboration around a shared vision.
- Develop the capacity, capabilities and conditions needed to become sustainable centres of innovation adoption.
- Adapt, test and implement a selection of evidence-based innovations.
Learn more about our approach through our Adopting Innovation wheel
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