71% of healthcare professionals offered ideas on how to improve healthcare delivery – AT Today

InnoScot Health, the official health service partner, says innovation must remain a key driver at the heart of NHS Scotland’s ambitions to renew and transform as it marks its 76th anniversary, with its recent survey revealing healthcare professionals have ideas to improve the NHS.

The NHS will celebrate more than three-quarters of a century of life-changing healthcare on Friday 5 July, an important date to also recognise the continued dedication of staff in an ever-changing health and social care landscape.

InnoScot Health believes this is not only an opportunity to champion the achievements and advancements made since 1948, but also to recognize the powerful role of innovation in collectively achieving more with less, working smarter and ushering in the powerful, forward-thinking ideas of tomorrow.

The organisation has been working in partnership with NHS Scotland for 22 years to support improvements in patient care. Its primary role is to inspire, develop and commercialise innovative ideas from NHS Scotland staff.

InnoScot Health stresses that in these challenging times it is more important than ever that the talent, entrepreneurship and commitment of staff across the country’s health services are harnessed to deliver better outcomes for patients whilst reducing inequalities and adopting greener practices.

Graham Watson, Executive Chairman of InnoScot Health, said: “It’s incredible to think that this incredible institution has been providing vital healthcare for 76 years – it’s something to be extremely proud of.

“However, during this challenging time, employees have a vital role to play: their extensive knowledge and day-to-day insight can help ensure innovation works for both them and their patients to achieve better outcomes and better use of valuable staff time.

“That’s why we continue to encourage all NHS Scotland staff who have ideas, however simple or complex, to come forward and share their thoughts with us.

“Right now, they are the change agents we need to inspire and embed the right services in a context of significant developments in data, digital technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and many other opportunities for real progress in healthcare.

“We are here to support and accelerate their enthusiasm for transformation by providing exactly what they need to help translate their ideas into healthcare service use.”

At the recent NHS Scotland event, 80% of attendees agreed that innovation and collaboration were positively encouraged in their respective workplaces.

Furthermore, an independent survey commissioned by InnoScot Health in 2022 found that 90% of NHS Scotland staff believed innovation should be at the heart of improving services.

The study also found that most healthcare workers were keen to take part in the vital work of turning innovative ideas into reality, with 71% of healthcare professionals responding that they had proposed ideas on how to improve healthcare delivery on one or more occasions.

The survey also noted that almost two-thirds of NHS staff considered themselves innovators “to some extent” and said they had ideas to improve the NHS, with one in six respondents specifically believing they were innovators “to a large extent”.

Graham continued: “This natural source of enthusiastic and entrepreneurial people represents an essential basis for evolution, adaptation and diversification, but innovation does not occur in isolation.

“InnoScot Health is designed to be a digital gateway for collaborative innovators to access the support they need to bring their ideas to life, whether that’s initial assessment, IP advice, funding or regulatory support.”

NHS Scotland staff can start by booking a consultation or submitting an idea.

Since 2002, InnoScot Health has evaluated over 2,200 NHS ideas, protected over 250 and successfully developed a range of medical devices, products and technologies for use in hospitals, care homes and emergency settings in Scotland and around the world.

The Scottish Government recently announced funding that means children’s social care staff will see their pay rise to at least £12 per hour.

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