Health Innovation Network Health Innovation Podcast

AI and digital transformation will be vital to delivering on the ambitions of the 10 Year Health Plan – to increase NHS productivity and deliver on the three shifts.   In this episode, recorded live at Digital Health Rewired, we delve into a real-world example of this, exploring a project in North East London, where AI-guided clinical coaching is being used to ease pressure on urgent and emergency...

To mark International Women’s Day 2026, this special podcast episode explores how innovation in women’s health can improve health outcomes and drive economic growth, featuring Women’s Health Minister Gillian Merron.  Chaired by Dr Dominique Allwood, Chief Executive of Imperial College Health Partners, and with Dr MaryAnn Ferreux, Chief Medical Officer at Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex, the e...

Innovation is central to the delivery of the 10 Year Health Plan. In this episode, Chief Executive of Health Innovation South West, Jon Siddall, chats to Dr Malte Gerhold, Director of Innovation and Improvement at The Health Foundation about the 'Implementation Challenge', exploring the barriers to the implementation of innovation and how we can better support it at a local level.

In this episode, Neville Young, Director of Enterprise and Innovation at Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber, is joined by Michael Wood, Head of Health Economic Partnerships at NHS Confederation, and colleague Amy Lochtie, West Yorkshire Innovation Hub Director also from Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber.   The Chancellor reconfirmed this week that economic growth is the number one mission...

In this episode, Richard Stubbs, Chair of the Health Innovation Network and Chief Executive of Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber is joined by Professor Bola Owolabi, Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England.    Richard and Bola discuss what we actually mean when we talk about health inequalities and how the Core20Plus5 approach is tackling this com...

In this episode, Piers Ricketts, Chief Executive at Health Innovation East is joined by Rebecca Cosgriff, Programme Director for the Data for Research and Development Programme at NHS England. The Programme's vision is a thriving health data ecosystem for research that improves care, boosts innovation, and sustains the NHS. Its mission is to deliver sustainable, secure and rapid access to the worl...

In this episode, Nicole McGlennon, Managing Director of Health Innovation East Midlands, is joined by Dr Amit Aggarwal, Executive Director of Medical Affairs and Strategic Partnerships at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). Dr Amit shares more about the ABPI’s mission to make the UK the best place to research, develop and use the medicines of the future and explains the...

In this final episode, we hear from some of those who’ve contributed to the podcast series and get reaction and comment from Tayo Owodunni, the NHS Programme Manager for Health Innovation Network Commissions.   Tayo, who has a public health background and previously provided programme management for the COVID-19 multi-agency test and trace programme, explains where the idea for NIPP came from and...

In the second part of our NHS NIPP podcast about reducing impact on hospitals, we explore innovative approaches to patient care post-COVID-19.  We are joined by Professor Dame Caroline Watkins, Professor of Stroke and Older People's Care within the University of Central Lancashire’s Faculty of Health and Care for an insightful discussion on collaborative team efforts in the Northwest, specifically...

Hear about NHS NIPP initiatives that are reducing impact on hospitals and addressing health inequalities.  Louise Hall, Evaluation Lead for Health Innovation South West explores their Community Assessment & Treatment Unit (CATU) initiative to enable frail, older patients to be treated closer to home while also reducing hospital admissions. In Sheffield, a different approach is being taken and...

In this episode, four guest discuss health inequalities in England. Listen in as Aoife Molloy, NHS England’s Senior Clinical Advisor for Health and Equality, and Jo Dumville, Professor of Applied Research at the University of Manchester, where she leads the Manchester Wounds Research Group, discuss healthcare inequalities in England.  They emphasise that these inequalities are systematic, avoidabl...

In this edition we discuss how digital monitoring is making a difference and hear the experiences of three guests.  Hear a conversation that navigates through the healthcare disparities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and moves on to discuss the critical role played by NHS NIPP in evaluating innovative projects, revealing that overcoming cultural acceptance challenges is more pivotal than fin...

Patient safety programmes form a large part of the AHSN Network’s work – a refreshed patient safety plan was delivered earlier this year – and patients play a central role in their development. Greg Stringer talks to four individuals about their contributions to patient engagement. Wendy Westoby is a stroke survivor and Heart Hero who campaigns to raise awareness of high blood pressure. Debbie Par...

Climate change causes health emergencies, with more intense storms and floods, more frequent heatwaves and the spread of infectious disease. We hear how the NHS is aiming for a net zero carbon emission target, to save lives and protect the planet. Our guests are UCLPartners Chief Medical Officer Dr Dominique Allwood; AHSN Network Net Zero Lead Pete Waddingham; and Greener NHS Deputy Director Dr Na...

Innovations which improve efficiency but fail to reduce health inequalities ‘hit the target but miss the point’ according to the AHSN Network’s vice chair Richard Stubbs. He is joined by three people key to the delivery of AHSN Network innovation programmes which have had a big impact on targeting parts of the population which often miss out when new products or services are introduced. After Rich...

One of the many hurdles an innovator must navigate in the NHS is the need for evidence. We hear from two innovators who have succeeded in proving the impact of their solutions; and from an AHSN leader who helps innovators to secure real world evaluation in order to progress their products. In conversation with Caroline Kenyon are Dr Neville Young of Yorkshire and Humber AHSN; Dr Greg Burch of Tiny...

Virtual wards, remote monitoring and automation have been adopted at speed during and since Covid. In this episode we hear about the benefits and the lessons learned – and the potential to do much more to benefit both patients and staff. We hear from Jenni West, Innovation Agency Associate Director of Digital Transformation on evaluating the benefits of virtual wards; Sam Hayes, Consultant Physiot...

It’s fantastic to create an innovation and get it into practice with support from innovation systems and startup funding; but how is it sustained beyond its initial launch? In this episode we hear how two innovators have been supported and how national innovation schemes are helping them to accelerate their adoption and spread. In conversation with Caroline Kenyon are Konrad Dobschuetz of the NHS...

The AHSN Network launched a refreshed Patient Safety Plan at NHS ConfedExpo 2023, reflecting progress made across focus areas including managing deterioration in care homes; maternity and neonatal health; medicines safety; mental health; and system safety.  Caroline Kenyon talks to four leaders responsible for delivering the plan across the country, Tasha Swinscoe, Alison White, Katie Whittle and...

You’ve got a great idea for an innovation which could help the NHS, but don’t know where to get support from or how to develop it. Introducing the NHS Innovation Service - a new service bringing together the expertise of leading healthcare organisations, offering joined-up support and tailored advice for innovators, in one place.  Matt Newman, Deputy Director of the Accelerated Access Collaborativ...

This episode explores how gathering real-world evidence and evaluation is an important part of encouraging adoption and spread of innovation in the health and care sector. Dr Nev Young talks about the publication of a new real-world evaluation guide for innovators released by the AHSN Network, we hear from Lee Omar, Founder and CEO of Safe Steps about how it has helped their business thrive, and V...

Across the AHSN Network, work is underway to foster better relations with healthtech companies with the aim of enabling patients to benefit from innovations. We’ve helped introduce ground-breaking products and services which are already adding value across healthcare. At ConfedExpo in June 2022, our reporter Nigel Thompson caught up with Neil Barnfather from Goodmaps. The company have been assiste...

How do you help people from all walks of life gain equal access to medical help and advice? That’s an issue that was discussed at ConfedExpo by two people who have collaborated in one part of England to make a difference. Yorkshire is home to a diverse population and in one area of health – asthma – one consultant has taken a stand when it comes to ensuring all have access to easy to understand ad...

Environmental sustainability: a phrase used widely in industry and now gaining traction within the NHS. But how can the health and care sector be truly environmentally sustainable? That’s the challenge facing Kathy Scott, who as well as serving as Deputy Chief Executive of the Yorkshire and Humber AHSN is also the Network’s lead on environmental sustainability, and Dr Nick Watts, the Chief Sustain...

A treatment for patients at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke is now available for prescribing in primary care, yet uptake among GPs has been slow.  Inclisiran was approved for use by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in late 2021 and AHSNs are helping local teams to develop different models of Inclisiran delivery. Inclisiran bridges a gap in the lipid managem...