NHS Innovation Accelerator

The NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) accelerates uptake of high-impact innovations for patient, population and NHS staff benefit. It also provides real-time practical insights on spread to inform national strategy.

The NIA is an NHS England and NHS Improvement initiative delivered in partnership with all 15 Heath Innovation Networks across England, hosted at UCLPartners.

NIA highlights include:

  • £38 million in savings delivered to the NHS
  • More than 2,100 sites are now using NIA innovations
  • Over £130 million raised in external funding
‘This is a revolutionary programme to give innovators the skills and guidance to support fast and systematic spread of innovation across the NHS. It has been a fantastic experience for me and my innovation.’ Maryanne Mariyaselvam, 2015 NIA Fellow, Non-Injectable Arterial Connector (NIC).

How the NIA works

As part of an annual international call, the NIA invites applications from exceptional individuals representing innovations that meet a real need.

Applications undergo a robust, multi-stage assessment process involving a college of expert patient, clinical and commercial assessors. This panel is drawn from a wide range of organisations including NHS England and NHS Improvement, AHSNs, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and The Health Foundation.

Successful applicants join an existing community of innovators (‘Fellows’) with a passion for sharing their learning and expertise, which are collated in case studies, an annual research report and quarterly INSIGHTS newsletter.

Support on offer

The NIA’s unique support model has a dual focus on the innovation and the innovator. Fellows receive bespoke support, including access to mentorship from a range of high-profile experts, links with AHSNs and other stakeholder organisations, peer-to-peer learning and support, a dedicated learning programme, presentation and networking opportunities, and a bursary.

‘The NIA has prepared our innovation, our company and myself to scale nationally in to the NHS, and direct support from the NIA Team has introduced us to previously unattainable organisations.’ Dave Burrows, 2017 NIA Fellow, CATCH (Common Approach to Children’s Health) service.

For more information, visit the NIA website at nhsaccelerator.com.