FAQs

What is the role of AHSNs?

Answer: Spreading innovation, improving health, generating economic growthThere are 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) across England, established by NHS England in 2013 to spread innovation at pace and scale - improving health and generating economic growth.As the only bodies that connect NHS and academic...

Answer:

Spreading innovation, improving health, generating economic growth

There are 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) across England, established by NHS England in 2013 to spread innovation at pace and scale - improving health and generating economic growth.

As the only bodies that connect NHS and academic organisations, local authorities, the third sector and industry, we are catalysts that create the right conditions to facilitate change across whole health and social care economies, with a clear focus on improving outcomes for patients.

This means we are uniquely placed to identify and spread health innovation at pace and scale; driving the adoption and spread of innovative ideas and technologies across large populations.

Although small organisations – which ensures we remain flexible and responsive to emerging opportunities and challenges – we lead large regional networks.

Hence our impact rests in our ability to bring people, resources and organisations together quickly, delivering benefits that could not be achieved alone.

The impact we are making is already clear: for example, a survey of AHSNs commissioned by NHS England found that 73% of respondents would recommend working with us.

How are AHSNs different and distinct?

Answer: Each AHSN works within its own area to develop projects, programmes and initiatives that reflect the diversity of our local populations and healthcare challenges. However, we all share the following priorities:Promoting economic growth: fostering opportunities for industry to work effectively with the NHSDiffusing...

Answer:

Each AHSN works within its own area to develop projects, programmes and initiatives that reflect the diversity of our local populations and healthcare challenges. However, we all share the following priorities:

Promoting economic growth: fostering opportunities for industry to work effectively with the NHS

Diffusing innovation: creating the right environment, and supporting collaboration across boundaries, in order to adopt and spread innovation at pace and scale

Improving patient safety: using our knowledge, expertise and networks to bring together patients, healthcare staff and partners to determine priorities and develop and implement solutions

Optimising medicine use: ensuring that medication is used to its maximum benefit – improving safety and making efficient use of NHS resources

Improving quality and reducing variation: by spreading best practice we increase productivity and reduce variation, thereby improving patient outcomes

Putting research into practice: our strong links with academia mean we are uniquely placed to support the translation of research into clinical practice

Collaborating on national programmes: our unified programmes focus on delivery of the SBRI Healthcare initiative (supporting SME interaction), the NHS Innovation Accelerator, Patient Safety Collaboratives and medicines optimisation.

What difference are AHSNs making?

Answer: Ours is not a short-term challenge but as our AHSN Network impact report demonstrates we are already making a difference for patients and the public, for innovators, for clinicians and for the healthcare system.Please follow the links below to find out more about how AHSNs are supporting system-wide health...

Answer:

Ours is not a short-term challenge but as our AHSN Network impact report demonstrates we are already making a difference for patients and the public, for innovators, for clinicians and for the healthcare system.

Please follow the links below to find out more about how AHSNs are supporting system-wide health transformation.

More about the AHSN Network

Map of the 15 AHSNs

Summary of AHSNs’ individual priorities

Summary of the 2015 survey of AHSNs

NHS England website

Why do you use the Wessex footprint?

Answer: The historic region of Wessex covers Hampshire, Dorset, the Isle of Wight and South Wiltshire, and reflects the map of Wessex Deanery, the regional NHS organisation responsible for postgraduate medical training. The geographical area, with a population of 3 million people accessing our services, offers alignment...

The geographical area, with a population of 3 million people accessing our services, offers alignment with the local government areas of Bournemouth, Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Poole, Portsmouth, Southampton, and South Wiltshire.

It allows us to complement the work of several other NHS organisations working across the same area, such as the Clinical Senate, Strategic Clinical Networks, Clinical Research Networks, Local Area Teams and the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research & Care (CLAHRC Wessex).

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