Increasing innovation capacity in the region

We supported all five ICSs, the East Midlands Mental Health & Learning Disabilities Alliance and the East Midlands Radiology Consortium (EMRAD) to each recruit an Innovation Lead.

The roles provide a two-way channel for the development and scale of innovation into health systems as well as identifying innovation being developed locally that could benefit from our support. These roles are now increasing capacity and capability to bring innovation to patients across the region.

Innovation leads are networking across their systems to understand needs, identify opportunities and enable Integrated Care Boards to meet their statutory duties regarding innovation. They also work closely with HIEM to identify, test and spread innovation.

Working between their employing organisations and HIEM, the leads identify challenges that could be addressed through innovation, search for potential solutions and provide implementation support. They also broker connections between stakeholders when they see opportunities to improve health and care systems locally or further afield, working with other HINs.

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Impacts

Innovation Leads are delivering a step change in our ability to access intelligence from across the system to support and inform innovation development.

Colleagues are seeking out our support for innovation in their local systems – particularly evaluation, a key contributor to both sustainability and wider spread and adoption.

Intelligence from the Innovation Leads has informed our Innovation Exchange events and there has been an increase in Innovation Scanning activity – both of which identify potential solutions to health system challenges.

We have an increased reach across the systems to highlight innovation opportunities and wider attendance at our development events.

Opportunities to access funding have been identified and support for local innovation accessed that colleagues were previously unaware of.

One hosting ICB has appointed to a permanent Innovation Lead post.

EMRAD’s Innovation Lead, Amaka Ojiako has written a blog capturing her reflections on her first year in post.