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Now that our partners across the NHS and social care are mobilising at scale in response to the developing COVID-19 pandemic, the role of the Innovation Agency and our fellow Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) is to support them. We are helping them take full advantage of the most relevant innovations and technologies that can improve care for patients and support our services in this challenging context.

Nationally, the AHSN Network is part of a coordinated NHS response to identify and enable the implementation of technologies that respond to areas of highest priority action, in particular solutions for remote consultation and patient monitoring, diagnostics and point-of-care testing.

Similarly, in the regions each AHSN is part of a system-wide approach, led by our regional NHS offices, to support our local health and care organisations - connecting them with potential solutions and offering up the specific operational or clinical skillsets of our teams where relevant. This includes our Patient Safety Collaboratives, who will be adapting their specialist skills towards keeping patients safe in these very demanding environments. 

How to get in touch 

If you are a company or an innovator with a potential COVID-19 related solution, please contact the relevant national agency direct:

Vaccines: Contact Public Health England: nervtag@phe.gov.uk

Ventilators: Contact the Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS): ventilator.support@beis.gov.uk or call 0300 456 3565

Innovation and Tech: Contact NHSX: DNHSX@nhsx.nhs.uk 

Diagnostics: Contact Public Health England: coviddiagnostics@phe.gov.uk 

If you have any other solutions (not specifically COVID-19 related) that could be useful to the health and care system during this unprecedented time, you can access AHSN advice and support by visiting www.ahsninnovationexchange.co.uk/. 

Regional support

During this period of extreme operational pressure, the Innovation Agency will be supporting our colleagues on the frontline and in planning and operations, by offering the most appropriate assistance as and when required. This will include supporting the implementation of technology to maximise the use of remote consultations and online guidance, freeing up valuable clinician time and reducing the risk of transmission.  

We are working closely with our regional NHS teams to coordinate this support, but if you would like to speak to us, please do get in touch at info@innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk.