The TV show Dragons’ Den is renowned for showcasing new and exciting ideas from budding entrepreneurs and at Oldham clinical commissioning group, we decided to use this formula to identify and evaluate new and better ways of working.
Our initial call-out for innovative healthcare technologies attracted a response from more than 80 companies, and the process has already proved an incredibly effective way to bring fresh ideas to the table and to help our CCG select the best innovations in the marketplace today.
NHS innovation experts have been supporting our programme from the start, to guide and manage the process, and to help us select those solutions that will have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of Oldham CCG’s patients and community. This has proved critical to the success of our programme so far. Designed, managed and delivered by Trustech – the NHS innovation service for the north-west of England – our Dragons’ Den event was similar to the TV series: shortlisted candidates pitched their healthcare innovations to our panel of judges, which included members of our management team and governing body, along with other key stakeholders from our healthcare community.
Our dragons fired questions at the candidates to find out more about their innovations, such as how each idea could improve patient care and experience, sustainability, measurability and cost-effectiveness.
It was evident that the talent and offerings that small and medium-sized companies bring to healthcare is exceptional. In the past, Oldham CCG struggled to engage effectively with these companies, largely because of the difficulty they experience identifying the right people to speak to. The companies also faced problems battling against the larger players in the market.
What’s unique about this format is that it opens the doors of the NHS to organisations and companies of any size that have the potential to help us provide a better service; this is compelling for the commercial sector while also being exciting for NHS staff and patients, and it gains enormous commitment from everyone.
The potential of a project of this scale is significant. As well as its strength to change the future of clinical commissioning, and healthcare delivery in Oldham, it also has the ability to shape the wider NHS.
The standard of ideas throughout the process has been remarkable, and those that appealed the most during our Dragons’ Den event convinced our panel of judges, beyond all reasonable doubt, that these innovations could greatly improve health and healthcare for the thousands of people our CCG serves.
Those that made it touch different pathways and include some groundbreaking medical technology and related information technology. From smart medication that tracks response to therapy to technology that assists with falls and fracture prevention, they all exhibit significant potential to improve health and patient experience, and deliver value for money. Collectively they could also reduce the burden on an already overstretched healthcare system.
Previously, and at best, the norm has been that one pilot is undertaken for innovations; however our next step is to run a funded evaluation of these ideas in a real patient environment, and this involves an even higher level of scrutiny to determine whether the innovations will work for Oldham CCG in practice.
From almost 100 initial applicants, six now remain and the results of our forthcoming evaluation phase, combined with due diligence and procurement processes, will determine how many of these could potentially be adopted by Oldham CCG.
What’s particularly enticing about a Dragons’ Den-style approach is that it can be followed and adapted as needed, it helps our sector push boundaries, and ultimately can impact patients’ health, while remaining cost effective for the NHS. It also provides future healthcare entrepreneurs and companies with a much-needed platform to showcase new technologies, and catapults innovative ideas to life in CCGs across the country.
It has been instrumental in helping Oldham CCG develop our innovative culture, and will certainly play an ever-greater role in future clinical commissioning.
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