Eight transformation projects were successful in bidding for evaluation support funding from EMAHSN in autumn last year.

Five of the projects have now had their evaluation plans approved and are underway. Three are out for tender.  The final reports should all be available by the end of March 2023.

The successful projects from round one of the funding were:

• Well-Track an early intervention in psychosis service, to help improve users’ sleep physical activity, wellbeing, mental health and to reduce weight gain - Northamptonshire ICS
• Digital Musculo-skeletal (MSK) solution to support patients waiting for secondary care treatment - Derbyshire ICS
• Oakley Vale Memory Hub – a service created for people living with dementia and their carers - Northamptonshire ICS
• Two heart failure projects that will establish integrated, community-based services - Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire ICSs
• Transforming the two week wait Cancer pathway – introducing primary care / community specialist breast pain clinics - Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland ICSs
• Mental health urgent assessment centre - Lincolnshire ICS
• Atrial Fibrillation virtual ward - Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland ICS

Chris Griffiths, Senior Research and Evaluation Fellow at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) (Well-track evaluation) has also worked with EMAHSN on a previous evaluation project. He said: “Previously, the support of EMAHSN was essential in collecting real-world data on people's treatment preferences, uptake of the particular device, response rates and treatment completion rates to facilitate further possible NHS roll-out. We’re looking forward to working with the team again on the Well track evaluation.”

Round two of the fund is now open for applications - submit an application and visit the Meridian platform here. The deadline for applications is Friday 30 September. 

Funding will be made available to NHS organisations to externally evaluate innovative projects already in place, to determine the benefits of the implementation. The evaluation may help to influence further project funding or form part of a business case to make the innovation part of an organisation’s standard practice.

Projects could involve implementation of a new product or device or may involve a service redesign or new, innovative way of delivering patient care.

EMAHSN can help to source an evaluation partner or project teams can utilise established connections to a known provider. EMAHSN can help to provide advice and guidance on the evaluation design, helping organisations to get the best evaluation of their innovation.

Applications must be made directly by an NHS organisation but can be written in collaboration with an innovator. Projects must meet the and not have already received other external funding to evaluate the project. Evaluations must be delivered within 12 months of acceptance onto the fund.

Please note: If you attended the cardiac rehabilitation innovation exchange event in June 2022 and would like to take a project forward with one of the innovators who presented at the event – you are also eligible to apply for the evaluation funding. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.