A £220m fund to encourage innovation in the NHS has been announced by health minister Lord Darzi as part of the government's ‘Innovation for a Healthier Future' initiative with the Young Foundation acting as an advisor to the SHAs (Strategic Health Authorities).

"Lord Darzi said:

"This announcement is a huge step forward in implementing the recommendations set out last summer in my strategy on the future of the NHS.

"NHS staff have told me that accessing the funds to make ideas become reality can be a struggle and as a result, many great ideas never get realised. That is why I am delighted to announce that we now have a £220 million innovation fund available to get those ideas off the bench and to patient bedsides, day centres or GP surgeries.

"We know that around 50% of the world's inventions over the past 40 years originated in the UK and that the NHS is rightly recognised as a world leader in the development of innovative treatments and technologies - but we can be better at putting those good ideas into action and these funds will help do exactly that."

Geoff Mulgan, director of the Young Foundation, said at the launch:

'As an organisation with a long track record of innovation in health - from phone-based diagnosis and patient-led service design in the past, to new models of care and health promotion today - we're delighted that the NHS is stepping up its commitment to innovation at every level.

The ideas with the most impact on health outcomes will come from many sources - not just researchers but also doctors and nurses on the frontline, as well as social entrepreneurs and patients themselves. They need to be spotted, nurtured and spread, with dedicated resources and attention, if the NHS is to be truly ready for the massive challenges that lie ahead.'

The Government has also announced that alongside this funding, it has put in a place a support structure on innovation for Strategic Health Authorities, with NESTA (the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts) and the Young Foundation acting as advisers to SHAs in bringing about a true innovation culture. The two bodies have a proven track record in nurturing and supporting innovation and assisting organisations to turn great ideas into great improvements."