Getting Your Product Adopted In The NHS 4 SEPTEMBER 2024

On September 4th, 2024, Digital Futures at The University of Manchester, in collaboration with The Christabel Pankhurst Institute and MFT Research and Innovation, hosted the event “Getting Your Product Adopted in the NHS.” Supported by key partners, including Health Innovation Manchester, Bruntwood SciTech, ECHAlliance, and NIHR HRC in Emergency and Acute Care, the event brought together over 70 attendees from diverse backgrounds. The room was filled with researchers, key stakeholders from the public sector, SMEs, and innovators, all with a shared interest in understanding how to successfully navigate the complexities of health technology adoption within the NHS.

The event featured a series of insightful talks, case studies, and interactive discussions on the pathways to getting health technologies adopted by the NHS, with a strong focus on overcoming common barriers such as procurement, evidence generation, and stakeholder engagement.

Professor Chris Taylor and Mr Andy Roberts welcoming all attendees.

The day began with a welcome from Professor Chris Taylor, Director of Digital Futures, who provided an overview of the Greater Manchester Health Ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between academia, industry, and the NHS to drive health innovation. He was followed by Mr Andy Roberts, Head of Innovation at Bruntwood SciTech, who spoke about Bruntwood's role in fostering innovation across the UK and its commitment to helping companies bring cutting-edge technologies to market.

Mr Andy Bleaden, Communities Director at ECHAlliance, contributed remotely, offering insights into how the European health innovation ecosystem supports innovators in overcoming regulatory and market access barriers across borders.

While Dr Annie Yarwood, NIHR HRC Operations Lead, could not attend due to illness, Dr Katherine Boylan, Director of Innovation at MFT, stepped in to deliver the presentation on “Supporting Evidence Generation for Health Technology.” This presentation highlighted the critical role of robust evidence in gaining NHS approval for new health technologies. Katherine discussed the challenges innovators face in generating evidence, such as navigating complex regulatory pathways and demonstrating cost-effectiveness, while underscoring how NIHR HRC supports innovators in overcoming these obstacles.

Mr Peter Whawell, CEO of Proxximos, presented “HRC – Our Evidence Jump Leads,” a case study showcasing how real-time digital contact tracing can tackle healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) and improve hospital operations. His talk illustrated the critical importance of strong evidence generation to support innovation and demonstrated the significant potential of digital solutions in transforming healthcare processes.

Ms Aqsa Siddiqui, Innovation Hub Programme Manager at MFT, followed with her presentation on “Adoption of Developed Innovation.” She outlined the work of the MFT Innovation Hub in supporting innovators through every step of the adoption process, from feasibility studies to stakeholder engagement. Aqsa’s talk emphasised the value of tailored support in ensuring that innovations are effectively integrated into NHS processes and meet healthcare needs.

Mr Ravi Chana, Head of Business Development at Roche Diagnostics, provided a unique perspective with his talk on “Dating is Important for Enduring Partnerships.” Ravi drew an analogy between partnerships and dating, highlighting the importance of trust, collaboration, and understanding between innovators and the NHS to foster successful long-term relationships. He provided actionable advice on how innovators can approach partnerships strategically to maximize their chances of success.

Mr Nick Allen, Industry Procurement Advisor at Health Innovation Manchester, addressed one of the most complex challenges for innovators: procurement. His session, “The NHS Procurement Conundrum,” detailed the steps and strategies required to navigate NHS procurement, focusing on how aligning innovations with NHS procurement criteria—such as cost-effectiveness, quality, and sustainability—can accelerate adoption. Nick also provided insights into the growing importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable procurement practices within the NHS.

The agenda continued with a talk from Professor Chris Taylor, Chair of The Christabel Pankhurst Institute, on “Working with the University to Accelerate Translation.” He discussed how the University of Manchester collaborates with businesses to accelerate the translation of research into real-world health technologies. Through collaborative R&D, partnership opportunities, and access to academic expertise, Professor Taylor outlined how innovators can leverage the University’s resources to bring their innovations to market faster.

Round table discussion.

In the latter part of the event, attendees participated in breakout discussions facilitated by Dr Katherine Boylan. These sessions provided a platform for attendees to share their experiences and discuss challenges in three key areas: evidence generation, product adoption, and procurement. The discussions helped identify common hurdles faced by innovators and proposed strategies for overcoming them, offering a valuable peer-to-peer learning experience.

Round table discussion.

The day concluded with a panel discussion on “Identifying Potential Challenges and How to Overcome”. Chaired by Dr Katherine Boylan, the panel featured insights from Professor Chris Taylor, Peter Whawell, Aqsa Siddiqui, Ravi Chana, and Nick Allen. The panel underscored the importance of collaborative working, with the speakers stressing that aligning with NHS priorities and working closely with key stakeholders is crucial for health technology adoption.

Key Takeaways:

1. Evidence Generation is Essential: The need for strong, clinical evidence to support the adoption of new technologies in the NHS was a key theme of the event. Presenters underscored the importance of investing in clinical trials and pilot studies to demonstrate efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness.

2. Tailored Support for Innovation Adoption: Ms Aqsa Siddiqui’s presentation highlighted how the MFT Innovation Hub provides innovators with the necessary tools, from feasibility assessments to stakeholder engagement, ensuring that developed innovations can be successfully adopted within the NHS.

3. Building Strong, Strategic Partnerships: Ravi Chana’s analogy between dating and partnerships offered a fresh perspective on how innovators can build long-lasting, fruitful relationships with the NHS and other key stakeholders. Trust, transparency, and collaboration were emphasized as cornerstones of success.

4. Navigating NHS Procurement: Nick Allen’s session on NHS procurement provided innovators with clear strategies for tackling this often complex process. By aligning their products with NHS sustainability goals and demonstrating both quality and cost-effectiveness, innovators can increase their chances of procurement success.

The event wrapped up with a networking lunch, allowing attendees to continue the day’s discussions in a more informal setting. We hope that attendees left with valuable insights into the importance of evidence generation, strategic partnerships, and navigating NHS procurement processes, all crucial steps for successfully adopting health technologies within the NHS.

We extend our sincere thanks to all the speakers, attendees, and partners who made this event possible. We look forward to continuing these important discussions and collaborations in future events. Stay connected with us on LinkedIn (Digital Futures & The Christabel Pankhurst Institute) and subscribe to the newsletter (Digital Futures & The Christabel Pankhurst Institute) for updates on upcoming opportunities to engage with the Greater Manchester Health Ecosystem. In case you missed it, you can view slides from the event here.

Get In Touch

The Christabel Pankhurst Institute is a partnership between The University of Manchester, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Health Innovation Manchester, Bruntwood SciTech and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Our mission is to make positive change in health and care for all through multidisciplinary and collaborative development, evaluation and implementation of new health technologies.

The University of Manchester's wider Digital Futures network is highly interdisciplinary and operates across the whole range of the University’s digital research - connect with us and keep in touch: