Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson
Chair of Curia’s Health, Care and Life Sciences Research GroupAlongside his current role with Curia, Andrew is also Chair of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. He also has extensive parliamentary experience, as well as ministerial experience, including as Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care
The following is the foreword from Curia’s Leadership, Culture, and Innovation Adoption in Integrated Care Systems report, , as part of the NHS Innovation Accelerator Conference Series. Find out below how to access the full report.
At a time of significant transformation in the health and care sectors, the first workshop of the NHS Innovation Accelerator conference focused on the leadership and cultural foundations necessary for scaling innovation in integrated care systems (ICSs). Against a backdrop of operational pressures, financial challenge, and systemic complexity, the workshop offered a reflective yet practical dialogue on the conditions required for innovation to thrive.
Health and care systems across the UK are grappling with escalating demand, workforce constraints, and the urgent need to redesign services to better meet population needs. Within this context, innovation is no longer a luxury or a discretionary pursuit – it is a necessary enabler of sustainable, effective, and equitable care. Yet, as delegates at the workshop acknowledged, the capacity to innovate is often constrained not by a lack of ideas or ambition, but by structural, cultural, and leadership barriers.
The ‘sprint’ workshop session brought together a diverse panel of contributors, including Integrated Care Boards (ICB), university academics, representatives from the Health Innovation Networks; and a wide range of leaders from NHS trusts, the voluntary sector, and health technology companies. Each shared grounded, candid perspectives drawn from years of experience attempting to navigate and reshape the health innovation landscape.
The discussion began with reflections on digital maturity and leadership at system level. A Chief Information Officer from an ICB provided a compelling overview of how they have restructured their governance, language, and priorities to support a more cohesive digital transformation strategy.
This included the alignment of provider-level plans with ICS-wide objectives and the deliberate simplification of frameworks to enable shared ownership. Key principles – such as interoperability, accessibility, and inclusive engagement – were championed not as technical aspirations but as leadership responsibilities.
As the conversation progressed, the theme of culture emerged as both a barrier and a lever for innovation. Several participants highlighted that risk aversion, fear of failure, and legacy hierarchies continue to stifle progress. Innovation, they argued, cannot be mandated through strategy documents – it must be nurtured through values, behaviours, and everyday decisions at every level of the system. Examples were shared of clinicians unable to trial new approaches due to unclear procurement rules, innovators demoralised by inconsistent information governance processes, and academics frustrated by a disconnect between research outputs and frontline realities.
The Sherpa model was presented as a positive counter-narrative – an initiative built on partnership between academic institutions, local government, public health, and the NHS. Sherpa was described not as a fixed programme but as a collaborative, evolving ecosystem for innovation. Its key strengths lie in embedding knowledge mobilisation fellows, supporting co-designed interventions, and sustaining momentum through trusted relationships rather than short-term incentives.
The workshop was notable for its honesty. Rather than defaulting to optimism or platitudes, contributors spoke frankly about the barriers to adoption, the frustration of repeated pilots with no scale plan, and the systemic contradictions between policy and practice. One SME founder gave a powerful account of navigating procurement frameworks that favour large incumbents over outcomes. Another founder of a business and fellow of the NHS Innovation Accelerator articulated the so-called “innovation chasm” – where early-stage success does not translate into adoption or scale due to lack of pathways, funding certainty, or national endorsement.
Yet, despite these challenges, there was also strong consensus on what is needed to move forward. Participants called for dedicated innovation infrastructure at ICS level, ring-fenced funding to de-risk early adoption, simplified procurement frameworks, and a fundamental shift in leadership mindset – from gatekeeping to enabling. The role of the public and patients in shaping innovation was also emphasised, with repeated calls for more inclusive, transparent, and place-based approaches to change.
This report synthesises the workshop’s detailed insights, including specific examples of innovation adoption, system barriers, cultural dynamics, and practical solutions. It provides a foundation for further learning and action across ICS, national bodies, and partner organisations.
The full report, which can be accessed here, is free for subscribers of Curia’s Health, Care, and Life Sciences Research Group, public sector and registered charities.
For more information about Curia memberships, reach out to ben.mcdermott@chamberuk.com
