Born out of University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), the Health Innovation Hub provides a platform for staff and external partners to explore innovations that could improve patient care and service efficiency.

The Hub brings together innovation advice, practical support, funding and partner expertise in one place, giving staff a clear first point of contact to help them develop their ideas.

In this blog, Reece Patel, Health Innovation Hub Project Manager, explains why the Hub was established, the challenges it addresses, the impact it is having and what other NHS trusts can learn from its approach.

1. Can you tell us what the Health Innovation Hub is and why it was set up?

The Health Innovation Hub provides a clear first point of contact for UHL staff and external partners with ideas that could improve patient care and help services work more effectively. We support innovation from the initial idea through to development, evaluation, implementation and wider adoption.

It was established because staff often identify opportunities, but they often lack the time, funding or knowledge of who to turn to for support. We connect them with practical support and expertise from clinical and corporate teams, universities, industry and Health Innovation East Midlands (HIEM). We also explore how successful innovations elsewhere could benefit UHL.

2. What is your role? What does it involve?

I’m the Hub’s Project Manager and first point of contact for staff and partners seeking innovation support. I help people explore their ideas, identify their needs and connect with the right teams.

My role includes coordinating project assessment, funding applications, business cases, evaluation and implementation, as well as managing the portfolio, communications and reporting.

I also work with teams to address barriers and understand the benefits of their projects. Through our work with HIEM we identify successful innovations and support their wider adoption across UHL and nationally.

3. Why is the Hub unique? What challenges does it address?

The Hub brings innovation advice, practical support, funding and partner expertise together in one place. With UHL’s large workforce, a single point of contact makes it easier for staff to know where to go and how to get started.

We help address barriers such as limited time, funding and understanding of implementation processes. We also provide a central route to innovation funding, helping teams test ideas and scale successful projects, supported by HIEM’s expertise and networks.

4. What has the impact been of the Hub so far?

The Hub has been live for six months and has received 49 innovation enquiries and supported the implementation of numerous innovations across diagnostics, patient preparation, workforce training, rehabilitation and product development.

We coordinate funding, connect teams, address implementation barriers and support evaluation. We also help successful innovations expand across services and identify potential cost savings through more efficient care and better use of resources.

HIEM has helped us access specialist expertise, implement and scale innovations, explore funding opportunities and share our work. This progress has opened conversations with potential funders about growing our investment pot and supporting more innovation across the Trust.

5. What advice would you give to other hospital trusts wanting to do something similar? What three things would you recommend?

I would recommend three things:

1. Build partnerships early. Work with your local Health Innovation Network, clinical teams, universities, industry, charities and potential funders to access expertise, resources and connections.
2. Create a clear innovation route. Provide a single point of contact and a structured process from enquiry through assessment, funding, implementation and evaluation.
3. Promote the service and share success stories. Help staff understand the support available, encourage ideas and share practical learning so other hospitals can adopt better ways of working.

6. What are the next steps?

Our next steps are to evaluate the innovations being implemented, understand their benefits for patients and services, and help successful projects reach more people across the Trust. We will also work with clinical and operational teams to identify their key challenges and seek innovations that address those needs.

Alongside this, we are exploring further philanthropic funding and commercial opportunities to grow the Hub’s investment pot. This would allow us to support more staff ideas, invest in additional innovations and build a sustainable model for the Hub’s future.

Working with HIEM and our wider partners, we also want to strengthen evaluation, share success stories and practical learning, and support adoption across other hospitals. Our ambition is to grow the Hub’s reach while ensuring investment is guided by evidence of patient benefit and value for services.

8. How can people find out more?

Visit our website to explore our projects and the support available:

https://www.uhleicester.nhs.uk/research/health-innovation-hub/

We welcome enquiries from staff, innovators, businesses and potential partners. Whether you have an early idea, need support to develop or scale an innovation, or want to collaborate, please get in touch—you don’t need a fully developed proposal.

If you are looking to set up an Innovation Hub, we would also be happy to share our experience and practical learning.