What is the Regional Innovation Fund (RIF)?

The Department of Health gives each strategic health authority a Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) to support innovation projects locally. Allocating this fund means that existing resources will not be diverted from patient care. The RIF will be the catalyst to support, incentivise and reward innovative work that has the potential to transform services across London.

NHS London targeted the fund at some of the main challenges the capital faces in delivering the vision of better and more local healthcare. There were 133 applications for fundind, and 17 projects were successful in securing funding awards. These projects cross various treatment pathways, were aimed at different conditions, were based wit hdifferent NHS and educational services, and were across a range timescales (from six to 18 months duration).

Innovation Showcase

From April 2010 until July 2011, NHS London ran an 'Innovation Champion' development programme for RIF project leads, supporting them to develop their knowledge base within leadership, social design, project management, stakeholder engagement, innovation policy and commissioning. The programme culminated in an 'Innovation Showcase' on 1 July, 2011, where project leads presented their work to a number of invited stakeholders. A short film evaluating the programme can be found below.

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