Innovation hub set to drive healthcare improvements for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Funding for innovation hub to provide expertise and support for adoption of innovations

The Health Foundation has today announced a new hub for innovation and improvement as part of a national programme to ensure that people using services benefit faster from effective healthcare technology and practice.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) has been chosen by independent charity the Health Foundation to host one of four UK hubs, with joint leadership from Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) and Health Innovation East. Each hub has been awarded up to £475,000 by the Adopting Innovation programme to help improve health and care services over two and a half years.

The winning bid for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough was co-produced with patient and citizen groups in partnership with NHS trusts, innovation partners, local authorities, universities and primary care alliances, to assist the developing Integrated Care System. The new hub will provide expertise and support to adopt innovations which can make a positive impact on patients and quality of life, as well as tackling health inequalities.

Helen Oliver, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Health Innovation East, who was part of the team behind the bid, said: “We are so thrilled to be a partner in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Adopting Innovation Hub. At Health Innovation East we believe that health is improved by great ideas, but great ideas only make an impact when they are put into practice and that is exactly what this hub will do. In addition, the hub puts patients and staff in the driving seat when it comes to selecting innovations, and it is this approach which will help us to address health inequalities across the county.”

Co-production with citizens, patients and carers is at the heart of the hub, which aims to empower people to shape the future of their health and care service provision. A new Citizen Participation Group will involve people in directing the hub’s activities, reviewing and adapting innovations for local use, and evaluating the programme.

Tracy Dowling, Chief Executive of CPFT and a member of the Health Innovation East Board said: “I’m delighted that our collaborative project has been awarded funding to build this resource for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough health system. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the bid, sharing your expertise, insight and time to make it a success. We need to ensure we are applying the best innovations to improve lives and care as quickly as possible, working with clinical, innovation, academic and public partners. Our hub will coordinate an effective approach to address the most urgent health needs, as we recover from the pandemic.”

Val Moore, Chair of Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough said: “Local people in all areas of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire will want fair access to healthcare innovations, and to know they can fit well with their lives and in their communities. The hub will help this to happen!”

Trevor Fernandes, Chair of the East of England Citizens’ Senate said: “Our members from all over the region are committed to support innovation and service change for patient benefit. Involvement in the hub will help us deliver our aspirations, and also address diversity and inequality issues to represent underserved areas and communities.”

Will Warburton, Director of Improvement at the Health Foundation, said: “This is a unique opportunity for the four innovation hubs to create change to improve patient care. It comes at a time where the NHS needs to accelerate effective uptake of new ideas to meet the challenges of delivering care to all who need it during the pandemic.”