‘Bridging the Gap’ between innovation and Integrated Care Systems

With the introduction of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), it is vital that health and care innovators are aware of how these systems function, as they continue to play an integral role in the pipeline of innovations and improvements across the NHS.

For this reason, our Bridging the Gap event last month brought together over 160 representatives from ICSs, NHS England and Government to enable innovators from across the UK to adapt to our evolving health and care landscape.

Hosted collaboratively by the South West Academic Health Science Network with the West of England, Kent Surrey Sussex, and Wessex AHSNs, the day included talks by ICS leaders and innovator panels, as well as workshops and individual mentoring sessions – offering health and care businesses a rare opportunity to build understanding of how ICSs in England operate.  

Here we capture high points of the day.

Jon Siddall, Chief Executive of South West AHSN, opened the event with a welcoming speech: “The distinct challenges of different ICSs create opportunities: to test and develop innovation in places that most need it.”

Attendees were offered opportunities to network with others working across health, care and innovation.

Following his talk, Matt Whitty, Chief Executive of the Accelerated Access Collaborative and Director for Innovation, Research and Life Sciences at NHS England, reflected on the importance of community within innovation and the NHS, and how Bridging the Gap brings these two worlds together.

Nigel Acheson, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Devon, spoke about the relationship between ICSs and innovators as part of our ICS Panel. Panellists included Dan Corfield (NHS Gloucestershire ICB), Vikki Hearn (Devon County Council), Allison Nation (NHS Somerset ICB), Ashleigh Boreham (NHS Dorset ICB). 

Attendees travelled from across the UK to find out more about how to get their health and care product, project, or app implemented within ICSs and the health and care system.

‘Delivering the Life Science Vision’ – a talk from Alex Mclaughlin, Deputy Director for Innovation and Growth at Office for Life Sciences.

Experienced innovators shared their journeys during our panel sessions, featuring John Cooling of Whzan, Carey McClellan of GetUBetter, Philippa Kingdon of Mayden, and George Brighton of MySunrise. Judith Stewart, South West AHSN Programme Director, chaired the panel.

Attendees enjoyed interactive workshops run throughout the day, covering a range of topics as well as joining one-to-one mentoring sessions for specific help with their products or project.

We tweeted throughout the event, summarising with some thoughts from Christina Farrow, NHS England:

Reflections on today's #BridgingTheGap2023 event from Christina Farrow – Deputy Director for Innovation at @NHSEngland , on building relationships with innovators from the very start of their journey. pic.twitter.com/JAjN2Xjk67

— South West AHSN (@sw_ahsn) March 22, 2023

Thank you to all participants, speakers, workshop leaders and mentors at Bridging the Gap. We are grateful to Office of Life Sciences, Accelerated Access Collaborative and teams across NHS England who supported this event.

If you want to know more, you can visit our brand new Innovation Portal (please note, this is still in Beta stages) to understand more about how we support innovators to understand and meet the needs of the health and care system.