Report helps shape a service Fit for the Future

Health Innovation North West Coast has led the delivery of the NHS Fit for the Future report, a nationally commissioned piece of work that is helping shape how innovation is identified, prioritised and implemented across the NHS. 

Commissioned by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of the Government’s NHS Fit for the Future mission, the six‑month programme focused on three priority mission areas: dementia, children and young people’s mental health, and cardiometabolic conditions. The programme is part of UKRIs R&D Missions Accelerator Programme. 

The final report, delivered on behalf of the Health Innovation Network, provides a clear, evidence‑based view of where innovation can make the greatest difference to NHS priorities – moving beyond horizon-scanning to practical recommendations for implementation and scale. 

 Using a robust, four‑phase methodology, the programme identified almost 500 innovations, narrowing these to 29 with the strongest potential to progress towards real‑world adoption.  

Alongside mission‑specific recommendations, the report provides practical guidance to support better decision‑making by commissioners and system leaders. 

Andy Hill, Challenge Director – NHS Fit for the Future, said: “This report gives us a clear, practical evidence base to inform future commissioning decisions. It moves beyond identifying innovation to showing what is genuinely ready for implementation, and what systems need to be put in place to make that happen. We will use these insights to shape the next phase of investment, ensuring funding is targeted where it can deliver the greatest impact for patients and the NHS.” 

Phil Carvil, Head of Clusters, Business and Innovation Directorate, STFC and UKRI, said: “This is an extremely insightful and comprehensive report, containing a vast amount of rich resource to draw upon that could inform future directions. As the report’s commissioner, this exceeded expectations, but when dealing with the Health Innovation Network this tends to be my experience.” 

Steve Adams, commercial programme manager at Health Innovation North West, Coast led the work and said: “Crucially, the report does not just catalogue innovation. It sets out the system conditions needed for successful adoption, highlighting shared challenges across the NHS such as commissioning pathways, workforce capacity, and the need for stronger real‑world evidence. 

“The work has already laid the foundations for future investment and delivery. Commissioners have signalled further funding to support the next phase of work, with a strong likelihood that Health Innovation North West Coast will play a central role in a larger, longer‑term programme focused on implementation, validation and system change, particularly within dementia. 

“By combining national priorities with regional delivery expertise, the NHS Fit for the Future programme demonstrates the value of the Health Innovation Network in turning policy ambition into actionable, system‑ready insight.” 

Note: This project was funded through the R&D Missions Accelerator Programme (R&D MAP), a £500m programme funded by the UK government and delivered through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The programme supports the delivery of the Government's five missions, with the Build an NHS Fit for the Future mission focused on health. 

The NHS Fit for the Future report was commissioned by UKRI through R&D MAP as part of the Mission's work to identify and accelerate innovation across three priority challenge areas: dementia, children and young people's mental health, and cardiometabolic conditions.