Health innovation is no longer on the margins of healthcare discussion it is central to local, national and international agendas, both from a health and economic growth perspective. The Government announced NHS productivity has increased by 2.7% over the past year in September, citing the better use of technology as one of the factors. This exceeds the ambitions set out the 10-Year Health Plan.  

Both the Life Science Sector Plan and the 10-Year Health plan highlight innovation as critical to the future of health and care and share an ambition for our health service to be an ‘engine for economic growth, rather than simply a beneficiary of it'. Originally commissioned to deliver both health and wealth, it is hugely exciting to see this dual value of health innovation recognised at the highest level.  

Our newly published 2024–25 Impact Report well-captures how embedding innovation delivers tangible benefits for patients, the NHS workforce and the wider economy. Working in partnership across the health and care system, we have tackled some of the NHS's most pressing challenges – from cardiovascular disease and patient safety to addressing persistent health inequities – while driving economic benefits too.  

In 2024/25, the Network delivered national programmes that benefitted one million patients, leveraged nearly £500m through our support to innovators and created or safeguarded over 900 jobs in the UK. These are not abstract figures; they represent lives improved, care delivered more effectively and economic growth that strengthens our health system.  

Patient experience and outcomes remain central to our mission, and through the rollout of Martha's Rule, 129 potentially life-saving interventions have been triggered. Our Medicines Safety Improvement Programme may have saved up to 884 lives. More than 700,000 patients are now benefitting from improved blood pressure optimisation. These achievements are the direct result of innovation being implemented where it matters most – at the point of care.  

Equally important is how we work. Our place-based innovation partnerships remain the proven model for translating research, development and technological advances into real-world impact. By uniting patients, the NHS, academia, local government and industry – from start-ups to multinationals – we are delivering improved patient outcomes, reducing waiting times, easing workforce pressures and stimulating economic growth. By embedding innovation at a local level, we strengthen communities and lay the foundations for national transformation.  

Since 2018, companies we have supported have created or safeguarded 11,000 jobs, generating growth in local economies and cementing the UK's position as a health innovation leader. Our programmes have benefitted 4.9m patients nationwide, while attracting almost £3bn in investment to accelerate the development and adoption of cutting-edge technologies. And since 2020, our initiatives have released 340,000 hours of healthcare staff capacity, enabling clinicians to spend more time with patients.  

We have also continued to curate our national pipeline of over 3,100 promising technologies, ideas and medicines. Last year alone, we supported the introduction of more than 150 innovations into clinical settings, evaluated a further 200 and provided intensive support to 685 innovators. Each of these represents a step forward in our mission to ensure the best innovations reach the people who need them most.  

Earlier this year, our Defining the Size of the Health Innovation Prize report estimated that health innovation could contribute £278bn to the UK economy. This potential is not a distant aspiration – it is an opportunity within our grasp, provided we continue to work together to drive forward the ambitions set out in the Government's health and life science plans.  

As I look ahead, I am excited about what comes next. The Health Innovation Network will continue to champion collaborative, place-led approaches, ensuring that innovation not only delivers better health outcomes but also builds economic strength and resilience into our healthcare system.