Accelerating innovation in new ways of delivering health and social care

As funding pressures, population change, and new models of care and management continue to develop within our health and social care system, the ability to encourage and drive innovation is more important than ever. Here, Dr Simon Turner, reviews recent studies on how an innovation-friendly environment can be achieved in local health systems. The greatest potential for innovations in healthcare are ‘combinatorial’ – those that combine multiple technologies and approaches to improve a specific aspect of the whole. Innovation must be based on evidence, but organisations can improve how evidence is produced and used in the context of improvements. Innovation is environmental – steps should be taken to encourage an innovation culture among everyone involved in delivering the service.