Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who is responsible for the (a) national and (b) regional (i) adoption and (ii) spread of health innovation within the NHS; and what role the Health Innovation Network and Integrated Care Systems play in this process.

Under the NHS Act 2006, NHS England has a statutory duty to promote innovation in the provision of health services. The Health and Care Act 2022 extends this duty to each integrated care board (ICB), requiring them to promote innovation as part of their planning and commissioning responsibilities.

Nationally, NHS England supports the adoption and spread of innovation through programmes such as the NHS Innovation Service, Clinical Entrepreneurs Programme, and the NHS Innovation Accelerator. NHS England also works alongside the Department and the Office for Life Sciences (OLS) to develop national policy and coordinate action to strengthen the health innovation ecosystem.

Innovation is a central theme of both the 10-Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan. The latter sets out specific actions and assigns senior responsible officers across NHS England, the Department, OLS, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, reflecting the shared national responsibility for supporting innovation.

Regionally, Health Innovation Networks (HINs), commissioned by NHS England and OLS, support the adoption and spread of innovations across England through, but not limited to, building capacity to serve integrated care system (ICS) needs, supporting ICSs with the roll-out of national innovation programmes, real-world evaluation, and supporting local-to-national adoption. Each HIN serves its local population but also works as part of a network to share learning and support the spread of innovation across England.

Ultimately, ICBs and National Health Service providers are the commissioners of services. They decide whether to procure new products, services, or technologies based on local priorities, evidence of benefit, affordability, and alignment with system plans.