Speeding up the adoption of innovation into practice to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience has been one of the four core contractual objectives for Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) since their establishment in 2013.

AHSNs have taken a range of approaches in delivering their objectives which have been selected in response to the priorities of their local populations and health economies. AHSNs are supporting over 150 active programmes and projects across a range of clinical and cross-cutting themes, many of which support the spread and adoption of innovations in their localities. In addition, AHSNs also host the Small Business Research Initiative and are facilitating the creation of Test Beds - both of which involve supporting the development and spread of healthcare technologies.

As part of NHS England’s assurance process, AHSNs are expected to publish annual reports to update their stakeholders on their achievements against their business plans. Annual reports can be found on individual AHSN websites.

Case studies and exemplars of how AHSNs are supporting the speed up adoption of innovation into practice can be found in the resources section of the AHSNs Network website: www.ahsnnetwork.com

Data on the number of implantations of subcutaneous implantable cardiac defibrillators and implantable cardiac defibrillators which took place in 2013-14, the last year for which data is available, are set out in the attached table.

In 2013, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produced Interventional Procedures Guidance on this technology for the prevention of sudden cardiac death, recommending that it should only be used with special arrangements for clinical governance, consent and audit or research.

NICE’s interventional procedures guidance assesses the efficacy and safety of interventional procedures, with the aim of protecting patients and helping clinicians, healthcare organisations and the National Health Service to introduce procedures appropriately. This guidance is not subject to the same statutory funding direction as NICE’s technology appraisal guidance.

The Accelerated Access Review will make recommendations to the Government on reforms to accelerate access for NHS patients to innovative medicines and medical technologies (including devices, diagnostics and digital), making this country the best place in the world to design, develop and deploy these products. This includes looking at regulation, reimbursement, assessment and uptake.

There is no formal appeals process. All stakeholders - including manufacturers, patients and patient groups - are invited to submit their views on proposed commissioning polices via a process of public consultation, the outcome of which is considered by the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group when it meets to form recommendations to NHS England on whether a proposed policy should be commissioned.

Decisions that are made can be reconsidered at a later date when new evidence is presented.