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Product Innovation For Suppliers

Bringing Innovation to the NHS is critical in improving patient outcomes, meeting the needs of our customers, creating financial benefits along with improving sustainability to meet Net Zero targets.

NHS Supply Chain work with partners such as NHS England, NHS Improvement, the National Institute for Health, Care Excellence (NICE), and the Health Innovation Network to support the introduction of new technology and innovation into the NHS that provides demonstrable benefits for our patients and users.

NHS Supply Chain is the last step in bringing innovative products to market via a legal compliant route and ensuring they are readily available for the whole NHS.

We will focus on

  • A standardised and recognised approach to assessing and adopting innovation
  • A clear procurement route for innovation
  • Confidence all products offer quality and value
  • Identifying Value Based Procurement opportunities for pathway savings and improved patient outcomes
  • Filtering products that have the same function and outputs as currently available.

Types of Innovation

Unique
A clinically novel product which delivers a new therapy diagnostic or other capability not previously available.


Improved patient outcomes
A product which provides significantly improved clinical outcomes to those currently available which can be evidenced by the supplier or manufacturer.


Tangible pathway savings
A product which delivers significant value for money or measurable benefits that make a positive impact on patient care and increase efficiency.


Sustainability
A product which provides significant sustainable benefits by reducing, cost, usage or environmental impact.

Healthcare product innovation needs to improve patient care, be safe, effective, suitable for clinical practice, enabling adoption by the whole organisation and offer quality and value for money.

Fay Allen, Product Assurance Specialist – Clinical and Product Assurance (CaPA)