Health Technology Wales commit to strategic collaboration with Bevan Commission
We’ve strengthened our relationship with the Bevan Commission and formally committed to collaboration.
Both organisations share complementary remits and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve the quality of care in Wales.
This will increase our ability to provide expert advice and guidance, support innovation and maximise health benefits for care providers and users.
“As two organisations with ambitious goals, it’s sensible and timely for us to foster closer linkages to maximise use of our resources,” said Dr Susan Myles, Director of Health Technology Wales (HTW).
“The mutual benefits both parties can receive will include an increased knowledge base, including access to experts and networks, as well as a professional peer group to ensure the quality of our work.
“We feel strongly that through our strategic engagement, Health Technology Wales and the Bevan Commission will identify opportunities to partner and contribute to care systems that are fit for the future.”
Health Technology Wales is a national body set up in 2017 to work with partners across health, social care and the technology sectors to deliver a strategic approach to the identification, appraisal and adoption of new health technologies.
We’re funded by Welsh Government and hosted within NHS Wales, but independent of both. Our remit covers any health technology that isn’t a medicine, such as medical devices, surgical procedures, psychological therapies or tele-monitoring.
The Bevan Commission is Wales’ leading think tank for health and care, which is transforming the NHS through expert thinking and radical action. It brings together 22 internationally renowned experts from academia, third sector, the NHS and industry to advise, analyse and comment on health and care related matters.
Prudent healthcare, pioneered in Wales by the Bevan Commission, is at the heart of Welsh Government health policy. The Bevan Commission is translating prudent healthcare into action by supporting over 140 successful Bevan Exemplars; NHS staff who are testing out their own innovative ideas to improve health outcomes, patient experiences and resource efficiency.
“We are delighted to be entering into a strategic partnership with Health Technology Wales,” said Helen Howson, Director of the Bevan Commission.
“Since 2008, the Bevan Commission has proved to be a vital ‘critical friend’ to the NHS in Wales by analysing and challenging policy areas such as workforce, patient engagement and quality. We also make a real difference at grassroots level by supporting NHS professionals and members of the public to influence change and inspire action.
“We believe that by working with Health Technology Wale we can improve the technical delivery of our successful Bevan Exemplar programme, and strengthen the evidence base behind our analyses of the delivery of the NHS in Wales.”
Our collaboration has already produced successful outcomes. Here’s how we’re working together:
- For the first time, our Health Technology Assessment methods were used at the Bevan Commission’s Health Technology Exemplars to produce topic exploration reports. These reports assessed the evidence underpinning the applicant innovations and a ‘Dragon’s Den’ expert panel granted funding to 14 applicants.
- Senior Health Technology Wales researchers provided advice surgeries for the Bevan Commission’s Health Technology Exemplar applicants and have given extended support to projects on an ad hoc basis.
- We submitted a poster to the HTAi 2019 Annual Meeting in Cologne, which has been accepted and will detail our work with the Bevan Commission’s Health Technology Exemplars.
- Health Technology Wales commissioned Cedar to produce a brief overview of Social Return On Investment (SROI) methodology to inform both Health Technology Wales and Bevan Health Technology Exemplars. We expect to publish this report imminently.
- Health Technology Wales’ Director will again act as a dragon on the forthcoming ‘Dragons’ Den’ expert panel in August to select the 2019-20 cohort of Bevan Health Technology Exemplars.