CEO Blog - June 2015

Impact Report 2015

The AHSNs’ impact report highlights the transformational contribution being made by the country’s 15 Academic Health Science Networks to driving innovation, improving health and promoting economic growth. The report Spreading innovation, improving health, promoting economic growth was launched last week at the NHS Confed Annual Conference and Exhibition in Liverpool.  I hope it gives you a useful insight into what the AHSN network is beginning to achieve – all dependent on members’ and other stakeholders’ commitment and support.

I am proud of our contributions with three of Wessex AHSN’s work programmes chosen for inclusion to illustrate the ways in which we are all starting to make a positive difference within the healthcare system:

• Bournemouth University Orthopaedic Research Institute is highlighted under Enabling innovation and improvement (pages 18-19). The BUORI is allowing local hospitals and universities to speed set-up and recruitment to commercial and non-commercial clinical trials.
  
• Under Supporting innovation and enterprise (pages 10 -11), is our support for Aseptika’s successful SBRI bid for an award to develop a home test for predicting lung infection flare-ups. A valuable early warning system for people with these conditions, testing of this innovation is now underway in our region and I look forward to the further possibilities.
  
• Our work to tackle the practical challenges of anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation is featured in Spreading best practice, (pages 13-14). We are working closely with the Cardiovascular Strategic Clinical Network to increase anticoagulant use and so reduce incidence of stroke.
  

Of course these are just a few of the local programmes and  I look forward to sharing our own annual report 2014-15 achievements soon.

Martin Stephens

Chief Executive