Last month, Curia’s Health, Care and Life Sciences Research Group conducted the fifth inquiry of its Life Sciences Industrial Strategy for a New Government Programme. The fifth inquiry session focussed on ‘Governance and Implementation.’ The session was chaired by Dr Keith Ridge, former Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England and Gillian Leng, former CEO of NICE. Keynote speakers joined the Health, Care and Life Sciences Research Group. These included:
• David Sloman, Former Chief Operating Officer at NHS England
• Ben Bridgewater, CEO of Health Innovation Manchester
• Andrew Davies, Digital Health Lead at ABHI
• Emily Darlington, Councillor at Milton Keynes Council
Transformation and streamlining policy implementation.
The NHS needs to transform. David Sloman began by stating that the NHS requires innovative partnerships with MedTech and digital but that this needs to be done at pace and scale, so it addresses rather than widens inequalities. However, rather than redesigning the existing framework the best method would be, in his opinion, to work within it. NHS England currently sets tasks for priorities with transformation and innovation, but delivery should be addressed regionally with each area having oversight of innovation locally through establishing regional innovation transformation boards and regional innovation funds.
Bridgewater explained that being clear about priorities is important, but this is not aligned at the lowest levels of the health system. This needs to be addressed. He stated that the way software is built, and the structure of NHS innovation processes are very different, and they often clash, stymying innovation.
“One of the things we found super difficult in this, quite frankly, is trying to do that collaboration when everybody’s so beat up doing the day job, trying to find the space for leaders to have those kinds of conversations.”
Ben Bridgewater, CEO of Health Innovation Manchester
Top down, bottom up.
Sloman recommends cross-government clear priorities and targets that are refreshed annually in clear language. The top-level priorities need to be clearly articulated to the local levels as local structures bring together national directives.
“The bottom up is only going to be able to engage effectively if the top-down bit has clearly articulated what the priorities are and what the expectations of people are.”
David Sloman, Former Chief Operating Officer at NHS England
In general, he feels that the UK need to improve at scaling proven innovations and technology, suggesting top-down prioritisation for the best innovations. Currently it takes too long to get equitable access. Bridgewater added there needs to be no uncertainty throughout the system on health missions. Sloman then suggested that regions need to be less regulatory focused, and more delivery based. There should be an individual whose responsibility is to ensure that delivery.
Regular regulation and regulatory frameworks.
Davies feels that there are two critical things: “A reliable, transparent, streamlined regulatory regime that includes international recognition and secondly, an NHS that is structured and resourced to absorb innovation through a transparent pathway with partnerships that lead to adoption and scale.”
He believes it’s vital that UK regulation is clear to industry as there is too much uncertainty in the market, which companies hate. We need to consider how to work with the wider international community for regulation. There’s a deficit in capital funding, it’s delivered short term, is non-recurrent, unhelpful and taken away at short notice.
“Particularly thinking about being ahead in terms of some of the regulation around AI and other things. And if we can get that right, there’s huge opportunities there for us.”
Emily Darlington, Councillor at Milton Keynes Council
Darlington advised a move back to ten-and-twenty-year strategies, especially as there is a lot of political agreement on this. She explained that investing in health would reduce the benefit budget, but this hasn’t been comprehended in government. There’s particularly a lack of support in mental health which creates a huge burden on benefits.
Health, Care and Life Sciences Research Group
Curia’s Life Sciences Industrial Strategy for a New Government interim report will be launched soon, where subscribers to Curia’s Health, Care and Life Sciences Research Group will be invited to attend. You can sign up to the Curia Newsletter here to be kept informed about our events and reports. If you are interested in subscribing, please email team@curiauk.com to find out more.
We are delighted to be working with sponsors IQVIA and Genomics Plc to deliver the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy for a New Government Programme.
