NHS Innovations North

Why are we here?

In July 1998 the NHS Executive published a Health Services Circular that gave details of the Policy Framework for the identification, protection, management and exploitation of the Intellectual Property (IP) that is generated by NHS Trusts for the best interests of the NHS and the country as a whole.

Intellectual property is the general label given to patents, copyright, trade marks, designs and know-how – all being things which are originally created in the mind. Intellectual property rights offer protection to the originator or inventor and are valuable, tradable assets. Within the NHS valuable Intellectual Property exists in novel treatments, equipment, instruments, software, training materials or management systems developed by NHS staff. 

The management of IP is a specialised and complex field, and expertise in it is scarce. NHS Trusts do not currently have these skills in-house and the development of dedicated expertise within each individual Trust would not be cost effective. Effective management of Intellectual Property has now become a major issue for NHS Trusts as they are beginning to recognise the valuable contribution it can make to patient care and the income it generates.

In the NHS, innovation can occur not only through formal research and development programmes, but also in the delivery of patient care. The NHS has lost out on many good ideas because they were disclosed to the world before a patent or other form of protection was in place. The Department of Health now funds NHS Innovations to provide all NHS employees with free confidential intellectual property advice.