Tackling health inequalities remains one of the greatest challenges facing the NHS and the wider health sector today. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed how deeply entrenched these disparities are, underscoring the urgent need for innovative and comprehensive approaches to address them.

Advances in digital technologies, data analytics, workforce development, and community partnerships present a unique opportunity to reshape our health system to serve everyone, irrespective of their circumstances.

That’s the vision driving our latest report, drawn from a roundtable discussion held in December 2024.

Following the publication of the Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme: Impact and learning report, which shares the learning and impact of the Innovation for Health Inequalities programme (InHIP), a partnership initiated in 2022 between NHS England and the Health Innovation Network, which sought to improve access to NICE-recommended technologies for underserved communities, using the Core20PLUS5 framework, we convened senior clinicians, NHS leaders, policymakers, and community representatives to discuss one of the NHS’s biggest challenges: health inequalities.

What emerged was a set of powerful ideas for reshaping care, eliminating gaps, and delivering substantial benefits for both local communities and the NHS.

In this new report, Forging a more equitable healthy future through policy and partnership: Tackling Health Inequalities Through Innovation, we capture how culturally competent approaches, data-driven insights, and place-based partnerships can create a new blueprint for equitable health services.

These discussions reveal that equity-centered solutions don’t just improve patient outcomes; they also ease long-term pressures on the health system and contribute to local economic resilience.

Our collective recommendations resonate at a time when the UK Government’s new ten-year plan could redefine how the NHS tackles systemic challenges. With fresh opportunities on the horizon, now is the moment to align policy, budgets, and everyday practice around a single guiding principle: that no community should be overlooked or underserved. This report offers a roadmap for transforming vision into action.

Explore the full report and discover the real-world case studies, expert insights, and actionable recommendations that could shape the next decade of healthcare.

  • Delivering the national cancer plan through innovation

    Across England, innovation is improving cancer services and patient outcomes. Last week the government launched an open call for evidence to inform the National Cancer Plan.  Innovation has a critical role to play in supporting the delivery of any National Cancer Plan, and delivering on the government’s three shifts. In order to realise the significant [...]

  • Join Innovation Insights: our new webinar series

    The Health Innovation Network is delighted to announce the launch of Innovation Insights, a brand-new webinar series designed to highlight the latest in health innovation, offering attendees valuable insights into the adoption and spread of innovation within the health and care landscape.  Each interactive webinar will feature: Expert presentations: Delivered by thought leaders across the [...]

  • Get expert support from the Health Innovation Network at HETT North 2025

    Innovation should be at the heart of the NHS 10 Year Plan. Delivering the three shifts and reducing waiting lists simply won’t be possible without innovation. At the Health Innovation Network, we are the innovation adoption experts.  We’ll be offering expert advice and support to anyone with an interest in health innovation at this year’s [...]