A new report has been launched to highlight the benefits of cross-sector collaboration between the NHS, health charities and the life sciences industry.

The report – Collaborate to Innovate – has been produced by NHS Confederation, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and patient charity leaders.

The report references the role of the 15 Health Innovation Networks (including Health Innovation East Midlands) to enabling partnerships across sectors as a key way to drive the uptake of new, innovative and better ways of working.

It suggests a series of practical actions to encourage an innovative culture, under the acronym DRIVE:

• Define purpose: Develop a shared understanding of the purpose of working together, the key topics and what partners hope to achieve.
• Review and build on what already exists: Explore the existing research and innovation ecosystem, engage with stakeholders already operating in the space, and identify who needs to be involved as a partner to overcome challenges, fill gaps and avoid duplicating existing work.
• Invest in infrastructure: Sustained investment in dedicated resources, tools, people, infrastructure and support is essential to mainstream research in health systems.
• Value success: Motivate people and incentivise collaborative action by recognising the contribution of successful partnerships to organisational and collective goals.
• Equip teams to collaborate: Create dedicated capacity to enable knowledge and skills to be maintained and embedded into the routine.

Read the report