The Dorset Innovation Hub is one of four Health Foundation Adoption of Innovation Hubs. Dorset Innovation Hub partners are across primary, community secondary and social care, academia, innovation, research, economy, industry and with patient and public involvement and engagement. Partners provide expertise to spread and adopt innovation across Dorset to establish and imbed a sustainable innovation impact and culture in Dorset.
As we have reached the close of 2022, we pause to reflect on the work of the Dorset Innovation Hub over the year.
Its been a further year of challenges. We recognise that Dorset remains under changing system pressures including covid recovery. To be developing a quality system approach isn’t easy and it’s not easy implementing innovation. The approach we advocate is to undertake an achievable number of innovation initiatives, ensure they are Dorset priorities and implement them well so they can be sustained. We’ve established the Dorset Innovation Hub utilising this approach, which enables the core team to work with clinical and operational teams in a way that minimises impact and maximises the potential for successful sustained adoption.
With clear focus on Dorset priorities, we’re learning from one another, and continuing to develop the impact. We’re thrilled to be working with the Health Foundation and the Innovation Unit to realise our ambitions, further develop our skills, network and learn through the wider connections with the other three Adoption of Innovation Hubs. We’ve incorporated this learning into our training programme, community of practice and website. We’ve also openly listened to feedback and tweaked our training and opened access to anyone interested in health and care innovation.
We’ve strengthened our innovation system working, building and developing relationships with our partners across Dorset. We’ve had to be agile, working mainly virtually, and it is credit to all those involved that we have developed a real team spirit and working relationships and are building a universal language and common purpose. We’ve also established good working relationships with the developing Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly and have appointed an initial three patient and public involvement representatives to develop and ensure that through innovation initiatives, health and care users in Dorset have a voice.
We’ve welcomed a growing number of colleagues that have joined the Dorset Innovation Hub and wider innovation community and celebrated their achievements as they develop and take forward innovations and initiatives. We’ve celebrated and congratulated colleagues who have moved on to wider roles in the knowledge that they have been an important part of the Dorset developing innovation culture and are part of our wider #DorsetInnovationHub community.
We’ve had many conversations. A year where each workstream, process or initiative has required development and many exploratory conversations. The outcome is an established pragmatic approach which minimises red tape, enables innovators and implementers, and safeguards those that use our services.
Together under the umbrella of the Dorset Innovation Hub we’ve achieved delivery of many of our objectives to develop a sustainable innovation culture and impact in Dorset.
I would like to pause to thank you. To thank all of you, be you a programme group member, core team member or a member of community of practice. Thank you for your constructive challenges, your determination, your encouragement, your listening ear, your advice and your enthusiasm.
Looking forward into 2023, we have lots more work to do to deliver our objectives to develop a sustainable innovation culture and impact in Dorset. Together we move forward with the same drive and enthusiasm that enables us to develop the impact of implementing innovation and its benefits to our Dorset system and those that use our health and care services. We look forward to working with you, to welcome new relationships and colleagues to our growing Dorset Innovation Hub community.
Finally, if I can encourage you to do one thing as you finish reading this piece, it to pause to reflect. Its only then that we can truly see what we have achieved, and what we need to do on the journey ahead.
We look forward to working with you in 2023 and wish you all the very best.
For further information on our work go to: https://ourdorset.org.uk/innovation/
Sarah Chessell
Lead for the Dorset Innovation Hub
