NHS Innovation

How Pera Training helped boost innovation in the NHS, resulting in 350 new concepts and 18 new products.

In the NHS, innovation is essential to enhancing front-line treatment, patient care and service delivery. Assisting the NHS to improve and develop new techniques was a challenge Pera Training was proud to help with.

The NHS Innovations network has a simple aim: to enhance healthcare delivery, reduce costs and create value both for the product inventor and for the NHS Trust. The network consists of creative and inspired professionals who push the boundaries of what can be achieved in healthcare. They identify, communicate and, wherever possible, commercialise intellectual property within the NHS.

To do so effectively, they also require support, which is where Pera Training comes in. Pera Training was appointed by NHS Innovations South West (NISW) to assist in the development and exploitation of innovation in the key South West region.

The first stage was for Pera Training to create a tailored package of support to help develop the South West's Trust Innovation Leaders (TILs). As this network of individuals came from a broad range of different NHS backgrounds, it was important to develop consistent skills in innovation management and commercialisation.

A key element to this skills development was The Innovation Leadership Programme, an accredited modular training programme that gave the TILs the skills and confidence to put into practice what they had learned. The success was clear. The TILs promoted innovation within their workplace. They developed live projects within their Trusts. They delivered 'Dragon's Den' sessions where Pera Training and NISW senior managers reviewed project progress.

The TILs were supported by a Pera Training Innovation Practitioner to help them to deploy their newly acquired skills from idea forums, through concept evaluation, to successful implementation. Pera Training also introduced a range of operational systems to aid the implementation of best practice techniques including a software tool, Exponent, developed specifically for the NHS. This provides both the step-by-step management of an innovation project and a validated business plan.

The proof of the value of Pera Training's involvement is in the impressive results of the programme. 350 concepts have been evaluated over the last three years. 18 have been brought to market through licensing deals and spin-out businesses. These projects covered areas as diverse as medical devices, software packages, publications and service improvement projects.

For further information, please contact Rod Howells at:

+44 (0)1664 501501

rod.howells@pera.com