Annual Review
2023–24
Who we are
We exist to help optimise the way our health and care systems in the South West find, adopt and spread innovation to transform lives, improve population health, and drive economic growth.
Together with our local and national partners we are increasing the impact of research and innovation across the peninsula.
Health Innovation South West is one of 15 Health Innovation Networks set up by NHS England in 2013.
Our work is funded by NHS England and Office for Life Sciences nationally commissioned programmes, and contributions from our members, as well as income generated through other activities aligned to our core mission and purpose.
In 2023/24
200k
estimated patients and service users who have benefitted from the work of Health Innovation South West.
£475,820,793
of funding leveraged by activities across the national Health Innovation Network
114
projects across three ICSs and 16 member organisations.
554
jobs created by activities across the national Health Innovation Network.
Our region
Our work in the South West is focused across the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
There is significant variation across our region, from isolated rural farming areas to market towns, coastal communities and urban centres, creating complex challenges for our health and care systems.
We are one of eight health and care organisations from across the South West who have formed the Peninsula Research and Innovation Partnership, with a shared ambition to establish the South West as a leading geographic area focused on improving health in rural and coastal communities.
By leveraging our collective approach, assets, external funding and investment for maximum value for the region, we are working together to improve population health, enhance the productivity of the health and care system and strengthen how we attract and retain our workforce.
How we work
Find, develop and evaluate real-world innovation
A one stop shop for innovation, we work with health & care, commercial, academic and community partners to identify, develop and evaluate real world solutions to clearly defined health and care problems.
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Create the conditions to innovate
We work with our partners to strengthen the conditions for innovation in our region and support innovators to develop and deploy their solutions into the NHS and connect to vital research.
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Adopt and spread proven innovations at scale
We support the implementation and scale of innovation and innovative practice in health and care pathways across the South West, applying diverse change models to ensure sustainable impact for both the workforce and patients.
ViewFind, develop and evaluate real-world innovation
A one stop shop for innovation, we work with health & care, commercial, academic and community partners to identify, develop and evaluate real world solutions to clearly defined health and care problems.
Featured story
Our impact 2023/24
- Catalysed progression to deployment of BRAVE AI, an artificial intelligence app designed to predict a patient’s risk of emergency admission to hospital, which is now being rolled out to over 30 areas across the South West.
- 200+ innovators provided with signposting support, 14 real-world evaluations supported and 15 innovations supported into real world settings through our Innovation Exchange
- Over 90% of midwives and maternity support workers and 100% of consultant obstetricians compliant in Perinatal Bias and Newborn Assessment training at Torbay & Devon Trust.
- Evaluated the Multi Action Rapid Response Service (MARRS), a joint health and social care crisis response service for children and young people with acute mental health difficulties in Cornwall, incorporating the voice of parents and young people, with a view to share learning and support spread across the peninsula.
Our Stories
BRAVE AI is an artificial intelligence app designed to predict a patient’s risk of emergency admission to hospital. From first working with BRAVE AI in 2014, Health Innovation South West has fostered BRAVE AI’s development, and the app is now being deployed in over 30 South West areas by NHS Somerset.
Read“The evaluator and the team at Health Innovation South West has been invaluable with supporting MARRS and our new integrated model, the support with understanding the theory of change and analysing large amounts of data has been of particular benefit in progressing our service.”
— ROSS MORSHEAD, OPERATIONAL LEAD, CAMHS INPATIENT AND ACUTE CARE PATHWAY, SOWENNA UNIT BODMIN HOSPITALAdopt and spread proven innovations at scale
We support the implementation and scale of innovation and innovative practice in health and care pathways across the South West, applying diverse change models to ensure sustainable impact for both the workforce and patients.
Featured story
Our impact 2023/24
- Lead NHS England delivery partner working with NHS@Home to develop an approach for national spread including national testing across multiple sites, evaluation activity and resource development.
- 402 fewer outpatient appointments equating to a cost saving of £48,240 as a result of a pilot project to optimise heart failure treatment via a remote monitoring service in North Devon’s rural and deprived areas.
- 57% decrease in the need for follow-up after just six weeks of a project to improve access to early diagnosis and management of hypertension and high cholesterol for underserved people in Somerset.
- 338 antenatal care staff in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset trained in Antenatal Preventative Pelvic Floor Exercises And Localisation Programme (APPEAL), in which we worked with Wild, a young parent charity based in Cornwall, to ensure input from women who are often marginalised and unheard.
- Successful spread and adoption of Pain Cafe approach in Plymouth, providing community-based peer support for people living with chronic non-cancer pain. Our signposting to funding contributed to an award from The National Lottery Community Fund to support continuation and development of project into 2024.
- Supported research that has driven frontline services to improve outcomes for babies born unplanned out of hospital and transformed triage systems in the UK and over 50 other countries. Locally, supported the South Western Ambulance Services NHS Foundation Trust to develop and implement comprehensive recommendations to change paramedic practice.
- Over 1,500 premature babies cared for across the South West to March 2024, using the PERIPrem bundle, reducing preterm mortality and brain injury. PERIPrem has also been adopted into national perinatal pathways, recognised in several national reports, and other Health Innovation Networks are considering its adoption.
- 62% to 84% increase in CQC registered care homes and domiciliary care providers using digital records in Devon.
- Facilitated collaboration of funding bids across all three local ICSs to secure a commitment from HTAAF for £1.3m of investment in technologies, backed by a further £800k to support the implementation and evaluation of the products.
- 608 attendees participated in 20 education sessions in lipid management, 45% of GP practices in Somerset have access to the resources developed during the redesign of the lipid service, and more than 67 healthcare organisations across the region have benefited from these sessions and the resources.
- Seven semi-structured interviews with health workers and fishing industry professionals conducted and four focus groups held with individuals from the fishing community in three locations across Cornwall as part of a project to understand the barriers to health and care in Cornish fisheries.
Our Stories
In Ilfracombe, North Devon, a new primary care outreach service at a community centre is improving healthcare access, by offering routine assessments and colorectal cancer testing to high-risk, underserved residents.
Read“I cannot understate the value of the input the team has had on our work, including working together to support the implementation of the LMNS Equity and Equality Plans via the Regional Perinatal Equity Network, and supporting work to ensure premature babies are born in the right place. We look forward to continuing working closely together to improve the safety of maternity services in the South West.”
— LOUISE GEORGE, SENIOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT MANAGER - MATERNITY & PERINATAL SERVICES, NHS ENGLAND - SOUTH WESTCreate the conditions to innovate
We work with our partners to strengthen the conditions for innovation in our region and support innovators to develop and deploy their solutions into the NHS and connect to vital research.
Featured story
Our impact 2023/24
- Helped secure an initial £1.8m from NHS England with a further £2.3m committed for the following year in collaboration with NHS organisations and academia across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and the wider South West, to deliver a programme to create a Secure Data Environment for research that can help improve health outcomes.
- 51 referrals into preventative, ‘non-medical services’, after embedding the Joy App to encourage more holistic management of long term conditions, as part of our work with partners on the 100 day challenge.
- 601 sign ups to Adult Social Care Network events to engage, collaborate and improve the care sector across the South West.
- Strengthened involvement and participation in mental health research in rural and coastal communities alongside our partners in Devon’s Research Engagement Network, deepening and building new relationships between researchers and communities including the VCSE.
- Hosted the inaugural South West Analytics and Infrastructure in Healthcare event, held in July 2023, convening experts from various sectors across the South West to delve into the challenges and opportunities associated with healthcare data.
- 244 trainee doctors and dentists across 19 Acute Trusts received Quality Improvement training.
- Hosted 285 external meetings and events and welcomed 4392 external visitors to our innovational space.
Our Stories
Health Innovation South West is working with NHS organisations and academia across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and the wider South West to create safer access to data for research that can help improve health outcomes.
Read“This Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme (InHIP) project, was a great example of successful partnership working between the ICB, Public Health, primary care and Health Innovation South West, who played such an important role in supporting the project.”
— GARETH WALSH, PFPH - PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTITIONER, KONSEL KERNOW / KERNOW COUNCIL - WELLBEING & PUBLIC HEALTH
How our work
is funded
Income
| NHS England | £1,554,773 |
| Office for Life Sciences | £878,354 |
| Patient Safety Collaborative | £301,082 |
| Member income | £210,000 |
| Other project income | £1,233,695 |
| Overall income in advance | £1,103,124 |
| £5,281,028 |
Expenditure
| Project expenditure | £4,281,499 |
| Corporate operations | £999,529 |
| Total: | £5,281,028 |
Our board
Health Innovation South West strategy is guided by a Board of Directors drawn from its member organisations. Our executive team are also members of the Board.
Find out moreOur team
We are a team of over 60 professionals who offer wide-ranging expertise in finance, healthcare, project management, communications, business development, data analysis, evaluation, knowledge management, HR, and office and events support.
Find out moreOur members
Health Innovation South West is a membership organisation. We work collaboratively with members and partners in the region and beyond to connect NHS and academic organisations, local authorities, the third sector and industry.
Thank you to all our members and partners for their continued support.
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