Head of NHS England sets out ambitious vision for NHS as it nears 70

Speaking at Expo conference in Manchester, the head of NHS England, Simon Stevens, unveiled an ambitious plan for the NHS as it approaches its 70^th anniversary.

The plan, to free up funding for the latest treatments, has been penned by Stevens as having the potential to create a paradigm shift in patient care. NHS England’s website highlighted a list of some of the innovations to be included in the transformative plan:

• Revolutionary new treatment for Hepatitis C is set to save NHS England more than £50 million as well as saving thousands more lives
• New measures to slash up to another £300 million from the nation’s medicines bill
• Trailblazing new treatment to restore sight using patients’ own teeth
• Routine commissioning of the latest technology to help deaf children hear
• An expansion of the test-bed programme testing the treatments and care models of tomorrow

“The NHS has a proud history of innovation,” said Simon Stevens, NHS England Chief Executive. “As our 70th anniversary approaches it is important that we do not just celebrate these often unsung achievements but also unleash the full potential of innovation in treatment and commissioning to ensure we deliver high quality healthcare for future generations.”

Highlighting the investment in innovation made possible through NHS England working closely with industry, Stevens discussed the new oral treatments for Hepatitis C, which have already given rise to a 10% decrease in the number of deaths and around a 50% reduction in the number of liver transplants required.

New rules surrounding biosimilars were also emphasised in his speech, which will enable doctors and healthcare providers to offer cheaper alternatives to patients that still offer equivalent efficacy. As three fifths of the top drugs used in the UK are biologics, enabling faster and easier uptake of biosimilars will be an effective cost-cutting measure, which has been estimated to be up to £300 million a year by 2021.

The procedures outlined in his speech, auditory brainstem implants — a medical procedure to help restore the sensation of hearing to children born with profound deafness — and osteo-odonto-keratoprothesis (OOKP) — ‘tooth-in-eye’ surgical procedure that can help restore vision in blind patients with damaged corneas — will benefit from £700,000 of new investment.

Additionally, the Test Bed Programme, which has been piloted in seven sites to see how combining wearable devices may be useful in patient care and lowering costs, will continue to be developed.