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July 2026

Dear colleague,

One of the key insights in the newly published Health Innovation Network Prospectus is that healthcare's greatest challenge is not invention but adoption at scale.

The task of the Health Innovation Network, of which we are a part, is to make sure that once an innovation has shown demonstrable benefits in one place it is then adopted into everyday practice.

Health Innovation North West Coast's new strategy, Powering the Future of Health and Care Innovation, acknowledges that challenge and meets it head-on.

It sets out our ambitions for the next five years which reflect our conviction that innovation will be the cornerstone of improved outcomes for patients.

It also describes how we aim to take a more proactive role in the regional innovation ecosystem. We will continue to identify the challenges the system faces and their potential solutions, and we will devote even more energy to convening expertise to make sure our region is at the forefront of emerging technologies, such as robotics and quantum computing.

This will ensure our regional economy benefits from the prosperity such technologies can bring, and our role will be to help our partners in the health and care system build readiness to adapt and change.

We will help to maintain the 'pipeline' of innovation, from early-stage solutions to market-ready options, but our priority will be to support the adoption of innovations that have proven their worth - we'll drive the process of adopting those solutions.

All this requires collaboration. So it's in the spirit of collaboration that I ask our partners to spare a few minutes to look over our strategy to see where our ambitions and theirs converge.

If you have any questions at all about our strategy, our contact details are below.

Yours, Phil

Dr Phil Jennings

Chief Executive

Our strategy: Powering the Future of Health and Care Innovation

Our new strategy, Powering the Future of Health and Care Innovation, is now available on our website. It outlines a clear vision to reduce health inequalities and drive inclusive economic growth by unlocking the full potential of innovation.

Health Innovation North West Coast acts as a bridge between the NHS, academia, industry and health and care systems: our strategy shows how we aim to connect regional needs with scalable solutions that improve lives and strengthen local systems.

The strategy describes five ambitions:

to accelerate the adoption and spread of proven innovations
to support the innovation pipeline
to improve system readiness
to shape national impact through regional insight
to mobilise expertise to make better use of technological advances

These priorities align with the Government's three shifts, from treatment to prevention, from hospital to community-based care, and from analogue to digital to improve health outcomes.

If you would like to discuss this key document, please contact us at info@healthinnovationnwc.nhs.uk

News

Stroke rehab model earns regional rollout

An innovate digital rehabilitation model, backed by Health Innovation North West Coast, has been commissioned across Lancashire and South Cumbria.

The Neuro Rehabilitation Online (NROL) model marks a major change in the way stroke and neurological rehabilitation services are delivered in the integrated care system (ICS). It also creates a blueprint for future delivery of other rehabilitation services. Read more on our website.

Link-up with Northern Health Science Alliance

Health Innovation North West Coast and three partner health innovation networks have joined the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) as a collective member. The move will reinforce the networks' role at the forefront of regional health innovation, and will bring together research excellence, healthcare delivery and innovation adoption expertise under a shared ambition to improve health and reduce inequalities.

Health Innovation North returns

Health Innovation North, the conference that explores pioneering solutions that deliver improved health outcomes, returns for its third year on 22 October in Newcastle Gateshead. Hosted by the four northern health innovation networks - Yorkshire & Humber, Manchester, North West Coast and North East and North Cumbria - the event features workshops, panel sessions and guest speakers, and highlights innovative solutions to some of the healthcare system's most intractable challenges. Find out more.

Quantum move

Health Innovation North West Coast will be part of the third cohort of the Quantum Technology Access Programme (QTAP), delivered by Digital Catapult in collaboration with the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC)'s SparQ programme.

Over the coming months, we'll be exploring how quantum technologies can help tackle real-world challenges and unlock new opportunities for innovation in health and social care. We will be joined by NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and critical care consultant Vinoth Sankar.

North West Coast Research and Innovation Showcase open for entries

The North West Coast Research and Innovation Showcase 2026 brings together researchers, healthcare professionals, academics, industry partners, and public contributors to celebrate outstanding work improving outcomes across our region. Award entries are now open - don't miss the opportunity to showcase your impact and gain regional recognition. Read more and apply on our website.

New pathway reduces high-dose opioid use

A co-designed care pathway is helping patients reduce high-dose opioid use and improve their wellbeing while strengthening collaboration across local health and care services. Opioid use reduced by an average of 33 per cent among those who engaged with the pathway, with some patients becoming completely opioid-free. Read more on our website.

Crossing boundaries to reduce antimicrobial resistance

Health Innovation North West Coast is a key partner in a national initiative to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the most significant global health challenges of our age. AMR threatens the effectiveness of medicines used to treat infections in human, animal and plant health, and addressing the problem requires collaboration that extends beyond traditional healthcare boundaries.

The ARREST-AMR (Accurate, Rapid, Robust and Economical One Health Diagnostics for antimicrobial resistance) Network brings together expertise from human health, veterinary medicine, agriculture, plant health and the environment. Read more on our website.

Health Innovation Network Prospectus published

A reminder that the Health Innovation Network's Prospectus is now available online. This key document sets out our collective ambitions, priorities and opportunities for collaboration. The Prospectus points out that healthcare's greatest challenge is not invention but adoption at scale, and the Network's role is to deliver improved outcomes and productivity through the adoption of innovation.

Recent impact figures show that more than seven million patients have benefited from our national and local programmes; our innovator support has contributed more than £4.6bn to the UK economy; and our support has created or safeguarded more than 12,600 jobs.

You can read the Prospectus on the Health Innovation Network website.

Blogs & Podcasts

Blog: Broadening access to inherited lipid risk-testing

Theun van Veen from Health Innovation North West Coast's cardiovascular disease (CVD) team argues that innovations in genomics offer major opportunities to better detect genetic risk factors for CVD. Read more on our website. .

Events

Mindset-XR seminar and roadshow

Health Innovation Network South London is hosting a free webinar series, Mindset-XR: Exploring XR for Mental Health, bringing together innovators, NHS leaders, clinicians, educators and HR professionals to explore how Extended Reality (XR) technologies are transforming mental health and wellbeing support.

The series will showcase innovators, supported through the Mindset-XR Innovation Support Programme, who are developing and testing pioneering XR solutions to address a range of mental health and wellbeing challenges.

The four interactive sessions will explore how immersive technologies are being applied in practice. Webinar dates:

9 September - Talking Therapies (9.00am to 10.30am)
28 September - Children and Young People (12.00pm to 1.30pm)
19 October - Dementia and Older Adults' Wellbeing (12.00pm to 1.30pm)
2 November - Workplace Wellbeing (12.00pm to 1.30pm)

Register for the full webinar series here.

The Mindset-XR programme is also staging a national roadshow for anyone interested in the future of mental health services. Register to attend at the following locations: Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter, Leeds and London.

2026 Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Conference

15 September, University of Liverpool

The conference includes talks and workshops spanning a wide range of subjects, from AI and emerging technologies to sustainable health and safety, enabling delegates to refresh and extend their technical knowledge and skills. The conference will also provide a forum for networking with professionals across the technical community and for exploring career development pathways. Keynote speakers include Dr Helen Sharman CMG OBE, Jiteen Ahmed and Professor Fiona Clark. Find out more.

Healthcare professionals training event

21-22 September and 19-20 October, University of Liverpool

Organised by the Civic Health Innovation Labs, this event for early career healthcare professionals aims to equip attendees with the skills and confidence to shape, evaluate, and champion new healthcare technologies. Find out more.

HETT - Health Excellence Through Technology

29-30 September, Excel, London

This is a leading event for those who want to explore how innovation can transform patient outcomes. The focus is on the latest tech trends, insights into patient outcomes, opportunities to learn from peers and becoming more effective in your role. Find out more.

www.healthinnovationnwc.nhs.uk

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