How we spread innovations in healthcare

We are the Academic Health Science Network for the North West Coast, covering Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and South Cumbria, with around 4.1 million residents.  Our footprint includes 22 NHS providers, 20 CCGs, nine universities and a large number of life science industry partners and small to medium size businesses.

Our core purpose is to spread innovation, improve health and care, generate economic growth

• We are catalysts for the spread of innovation at pace and scale - improving health and care, generating economic growth and helping facilitate change across whole health and social care economies.
   
• We connect regional networks of NHS and academic organisations, local authorities, the third sector and industry - responding to the diverse needs of our patients and populations through partnership and collaboration.
   
• We create the right environment for relevant industries to work with the health and social care system.

Innovation Agency values

In addition to adopting the values of the NHS, we have developed a set of values on which our Innovation Agency culture is based:

• Making a difference
• Honesty and integrity
• Collaborative and creative
• Caring
• Embracing diversity

Our five goals

Our business plan  focusses on five goals, which are the result of consultation with our partners and key stakeholders about the needs of our region matched with our capabilities and complementing other organisations. 

• Goal 1: Support system transformation through the adoption of innovations that enhance quality and value
• Goal 2: Deliver an Innovation Exchange to accelerate innovation into practice and drive economic growth
• Goal 3: Develop and connect the digital health and care sector
• Goal 4: Deliver the NHS Improvement Patient Safety Collaborative programme
• Goal 5: Collaborate with the national AHSN Network