Addressing inequalities in access to healthcare innovation

The Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme (InHIP) was delivered across all the Health Innovation Networks to help health systems address local healthcare inequalities and improve access to the latest health technologies and medicines.

Over £4M was made available to support the programme nationally building on the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) and HINs’ achievements and learning to date in improving people’s access to innovations in healthcare.

Three projects received InHIP funding and received HIEM support in 2023-2024:

  • Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) Integrated Care System - Improving attendance rates and experience within cardiovascular outpatient clinics for the South Asian population within the most deprived areas of LLR whilst reducing differentials in the prescribing of drugs.
  • Lincolnshire Integrated Care System - Enhancing cardiovascular health for people within deprived, elderly, and rural populations to reduce the significant difference in cardiovascular-related mortality between the most and least deprived areas of Lincolnshire.
  • Northamptonshire Integrated Care System - Identification of undetected Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and Hypertension (HTN) through opportunistic community health testing within deprived, black and minority ethnic local populations.

Learn more about InHIP

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Impacts

With our support:

In LLR staff engaged with more than 350 people from local South Asian communities through co-production sessions, events and focus groups to hear their experiences of accessing health care and to understand barriers.

107 patient telephone interviews were undertaken to better understand reasons for not attending appointments. A staff survey was also undertaken.

43 patients were invited to CVD clinics to optimise their care. 38 patients attended: 26 face-to-face and 12 by telephone. 23 patients were prescribed Rivaroxaban.

In Lincolnshire, staff were trained to carry out Healthy Heart home visits and to refer appropriate patients to a new virtual Multi Disciplinary Team (vMDT). 37 of the patients seen by the vMDT received changes to their treatment.

In Northamptonshire, Community Champions from eight organisations were trained to carry out the opportunistic testing for Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and Hypertension. 13 screening events were held. 424 people were tested, with the identification of 22 with potential AF, 36 with other cardiac issues and 180 with high or very high blood pressure.

You can find out more about the projects by watching our video and about the support we provided.