NHS Confederation responds to the government’s life sciences growth package

Responding to the announcement of a life sciences growth package by the Chancellor, Dr Layla McCay director of policy at the NHS Confederation said:

"We welcome the government’s announcement that Academic Health Science Networks will remain in place under the new name of Health Innovation Networks and look forward to seeing what they are able to deliver with their expanded remit.  

“They have done an excellent job in supporting Integrated Care Systems to adopt and spread innovation throughout the NHS. Locating Health Innovation Networks regionally will mean that they are able to support systems even more by tailoring innovations which better meet the needs of local communities.  

“It is also encouraging to see that Kathryn Abel and Husseini Manji have been announced as co-chairs for the Mental Health Mission in the Life Sciences Vision. We stand ready to work with them to make the ambitions in this plan a reality and hope that their appointments will stimulate more collaboration, clarity and coordination between stakeholders working in this space so people with a mental health condition can access better treatments and we can transform service delivery by adopting and scaling new innovations.  

“We need to deepen our understanding of mental ill health and what new diagnosis, treatments and technologies can be utilised to improve the health of our population and reduce pressures on the NHS through a greater focus on prevention. The investment in clinical research for mental health conditions will hopefully help drive that forward.”