The Health Innovation Network

The Health Innovation Network (formerly known as AHSN Network) is the innovation arm of the NHS and the collective voice of the 15 health innovation networks across England. They were established by NHS England in 2013 to help adoption and spread of innovation at pace and scale to improve health outcomes and generate economic growth. Each organisation works across a distinct geography, serving a different population in each region.

The role of the Health Innovation Network

The Health Innovation Network’s five-year strategy (published in 2021) sets out how the collective network plans to achieve its strategic aims. Through the work of the networks in 2022/23 more than 530,000 patients benefitted from their programmes, 184 companies created long term strategic partnerships, 565 jobs were created and 763 jobs safeguarded in companies supported by their work and £428 million investment leveraged by supported companies.

The Network connects the NHS, academic organisations, local authorities, charities and industry, providing a range of practical support to facilitate change across health and social care economies, with a focus on improving outcomes for patients. Each organisation provides an Innovation Exchange, designed to support innovators at every stage of development to help them understand NHS challenges and connect them to the help they need to succeed.

Core objectives for the network

Their core objectives are:

  1. To generate a rich pipeline of demonstrably useful, evidence-based innovations;
  2. To support the adoption and spread of proven evidence-based innovations across England.

These objectives are key to the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan, the NHS People Plan, the Core 20PLUS5 approach to reducing health inequalities, and the UK Life Sciences Vision.

In addition to driving national adoption of innovation, the health innovation networks deliver local programmes that address specific local needs and challenges. Each one continues to build its capacity to serve the needs of local Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), supporting them with the roll-out of national innovation programmes and real-world evaluation, as well as facilitating local-to-national adoption.

Each organisation is also commissioned by NHS England to deliver National Patient Safety Improvement Programmes.

For more information, please contact england.healthinnovation@nhs.net

To find more news and recent developments across the Health Innovation Network, please visit the health innovation network website.

Map showing 15 Health Innovation Network locations

Map showing 15 Health Innovation Network locations

15 Health Innovation Networks

Each of the following organisations works across a distinct geography, serving a different population in each region.