NHS and Government back AHSNs to continue to lead innovation under new name

The Government and NHS England have today confirmed their intention to relicense England’s 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) under the revised badge of ‘Health Innovation Networks’ (HINs), to reflect our key role in supporting development and spread of innovation across health services.

Following the Life Sciences Council meeting (25 May), it was formally announced that NHS England would commission the Health Innovation Networks for five years, until 2028.

Set up in 2013 by NHS England to act as innovation arms of the NHS, AHSNs work locally and nationally to support the spread of all types of innovation within the NHS, from new technologies to ways of working and service improvements. Under the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department of Science, Innovation and Technologies’ joint commission – the Office for Life Sciences (OLS) – AHSNs also provide bespoke support to innovators to accelerate promising innovations from development to adoption, and boost economic growth.