NHS Innovation Accelerator fellows find value in healthcare inequalities support
The NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) aims to scale healthcare innovations, prioritising patient and workforce benefits. The NIA commissioned Health Innovation South West to support 17 fellows in integrating equality considerations.
In 2023, the NIA, managed by UCL Partners (UCLP), contracted Health Innovation South West to assess 33 shortlisted NIA fellows’ candidates focusing on healthcare inequalities. Health Innovation South West then supported 17 successful fellows in integrating healthcare inequality considerations into their innovations.
Led by one of the Evaluation Leads at Health Innovation South West, the project provided detailed application reviews followed by tailored one-on-one sessions, with each fellow using NHS CORE20Plus5 structure. Follow-up meetings were flexible and included guidance on innovator papers and plans from a healthcare inequality perspective.
This support aimed to ensure fellows’ innovations effectively addressed healthcare inequalities throughout development, implementation, and evaluation.
Impact was assessed through a short survey, completed by 50% of the fellows. NIA fellows greatly appreciated the support for addressing healthcare inequalities.
Impacts from survey:
- Fellows scored highest in valuing the support and their ability to act after support meetings, with all respondents indicating “strongly agree” or “mostly agree.”
- All survey respondents agreed that they were able to take action following the support.
- Over half of respondents either mostly or strongly agreed that the support led them to change the way they design, deliver or report on their intervention. “We now communicate and report differently. We also design differently to an extent, so this has had an impact.”
Other findings:
- The 1-2-1 support and its detailed, bespoke nature were greatly valued. There were also suggestions for group workshops to share learnings.
- Some fellows valued aspects like evidence and evaluation discussions more than healthcare inequalities due to perceived commissioner priorities.
- Challenges facing fellows included limited NHS budgets and onerous processes, such as the Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC).
In summary, fellows suggested that the 2024/25 commission should maintain a similar format, but might also benefit from incorporating group sessions and expanding the focus beyond healthcare inequalities.
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“I received support from the Evaluation Lead at Health Innovation South West on health equity. I cannot emphasise strongly enough how much I valued the conversation. The Evaluation Lead is a fountain of knowledge, and I have come back to her with queries through the year. She is supportive, educates without being patronising, and understands the limitations innovators might have too.”
NIA Fellow
