Red tape is holding UK healthcare sector back by killing innovation
Healthcare providers in Britain are too bogged down in red tape to be able to innovate, new research by PA consulting shows.
By ranking sectors according to innovation level, they found that bodies like the NHS pushed healthcare below life sciences, technology and the pharmaceutical industry.
The researchers said a large part of the problem was related to attitude among those working in the sector – the report found that “health professionals are, at best, sceptical about the effectiveness of innovation within their sector”.
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In addition, red tape and bureaucracy was identified as a major barrier, with the majority of healthcare leaders saying there were so many rules and regulations in place that it became difficult for innovation to thrive.
The study also found that in the case of 87 per cent of organisations, cost saving was used as the main measure of success, rather than the ability to improve patients' lives.
Catharine Berwick, head of healthcare at PA Consulting, said:
Healthcare professionals need to be supported to develop new ideas, including time to create innovation and information on maturing them. In addition, healthcare organisations need to rethink how they approach innovation, seeing it as more than a cost-saving exercise and instead recognising the potential benefits to patients.