The need for fast-paced innovation in healthcare is widely acknowledged. And ensuring that healthcare innovation is shaped by the people it serves remains a pressing priority – one made all the more evident by the growing emphasis on health equity in the 10 Year Health Plan.
Patient voices are often cited as central to healthcare innovation, yet in practice, those voices can be overlooked or engaged too late in the process. On 26 February, we invited patient representatives to join us at HETT North in Manchester. They visited innovators exhibiting with the Health Innovation Network, and were encouraged to share experiences and reflections on Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement, common challenges and best practices.
In partnership with The Patients Association, we then convened a roundtable discussion to explore how Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement can deliver more inclusive, sustainable healthcare innovation.
What emerged from that discussion is a comprehensive set of recommendations that outline how sustained, well-structured patient engagement can enable more equitable, impactful and inclusive healthcare innovations.
In this new report, Forging a more equitable future through Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement, we set out these recommendations, exploring how patient voices can be embedded in the development of digital technology, the need to move beyond conventional pathways, and how to build trust through local communities.
A consistent theme was the emphasis on meeting people where they are. Addressing health inequalities requires acknowledging how social, economic, and cultural contexts shape individuals’ access to—and perceptions of—care.
Explore the full report to discover real-world case studies, expert insights and actionable recommendations that can shape the future of patient involvement in healthcare innovation.
Watch: Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement in action at HETT North
The Health Innovation Network, at an event sponsored by Sarah Coombes MP, brought together parliamentarians including Health Minister Karin Smyth MP and Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, Chi Onwurah MP to meet with six innovators supported by health innovation networks across the country and their NHS partners. At the Meet the Innovators: [...]
The need for fast-paced innovation in healthcare is widely acknowledged. And ensuring that healthcare innovation is shaped by the people it serves remains a pressing priority – one made all the more evident by the growing emphasis on health equity in the 10 Year Health Plan. Patient voices are often cited as central to healthcare [...]
The NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) has revealed its 2025 cohort of Fellows. As the NIA celebrates a decade of helping to drive innovation in the NHS, this year’s cohort aligns with the Government’s three priorities: supporting the transition from analogue to digital, sickness to prevention and hospital to home. The 28 new Fellows will benefit [...]
