Appendix 1
Wessex Academic Health Science Network
Centre for Implementation Science
Academic Health Science Networks have been created to accelerate the adoption and spread of
innovation in NHS services, addressing improvement challenges and the implementation of change in
complex health delivery services. The Wessex AHSN Centre for Implementation Science will provide a
core central resource to:

Identify needs for improvement across Wessex

Evidence and promote successful change strategies, delivering sustainable long term
improvement

Evaluate Wessex AHSN activities, enabling learning for the future
It will also utilise and generate new resources from other externally funded programmes (e.g. Wessex
CLARHC and external research funding) to enhance innovation implementation capacity in Wessex.
Key Activities:

Implementation science is founded on systematic evidence-based approaches to healthcare delivery
and clinical techniques. It proceeds through designing, delivering, and embedding them in everyday
practice. It is informed by robust conceptual models and practice methods.

The Wessex AHSN Centre for Implementation Science is a key element of the AHSN’s delivery capacity.
Working in close collaboration with partners across the Wessex health economy it will provide
underpinning analytical and knowledge mobilisation support for embedding in practice system-wide
quality improvement, and for the development and implementation of new processes and products.

The purpose of the CIS is to support AHSN priority work-streams through four key mechanisms.

Informing AHSN work programmes. Working closely with commissioning bodies, CIS will integrate
organisational data about service performance with clinical and epidemiological data about healthcare
problems for AHSN programmes. This service will provide baseline data for priority setting and
intervention planning; measure the impact of work-streams and other projects over time; and identify
future needs and opportunities across the health economy.

Advances in service delivery and clinical innovations need to have good fit with the context in which they
are mobilised. The Hampshire Health Record forms a key resource to support this.

Horizon Scanning and Evidence synthesis. CIS will link robust information about clinical and cost
effective practice with AHSN priorities and work-streams. It will support future interventions and
innovations across the health economy, processing evidence from NICE in the UK, and AHRQ in the US
to provide robust frameworks for practice.

AHSN work-streams and new projects across the Wessex health economy must be evidence-based.
We have a significant evidence evaluation and synthesis skills base at our disposal in the local health
economy and HEIs.

Adoption, Diffusion and Evaluating Change. CIS will support the adoption, diffusion, and delivery of
service innovations and new clinical interventions across the AHSN and the Wessex health economy. It
will link work-stream and project leaders to implementation scientists, operational researchers, and
mathematical modellers, supporting intervention design, implementation, and evaluation, ensuring that
the AHSN’s investment in spreading improvement is informed by the best available knowledge to ensure
success

Diffusion and adoption of advances in service provision and clinical innovations involve complex
organisational and psychological factors. We already have a core body of expertise in this area,
including chairs in Healthcare Innovation and Health Systems Implementation at Southampton. We are
well placed to support work that bridges the translational gaps, identifying and overcoming barriers to
industry and innovation.

Exploiting Research and Knowledge Transfer. CIS will support knowledge transfer and delivery
services across the AHSN. Working within AHSN objectives and supporting AHSN programmes, it will
communicate analysis and evidence to partners across the Wessex health economy, and support the
adoption and diffusion of innovations and the promotion of change processes across whole healthcare
systems.

Advances in service provision and clinical innovations need to be clearly communicated if they are to be
exploited by service providers and embedded in practice. The successful Wessex HIEC provides a
model for flexible and responsive practice in this area.

The Centre for Implementation Science will be commissioned from within the AHSN to provide a
dedicated service around key mechanisms of change but will also provide a link with other larger,
externally funded, developments eg the Wessex CLAHRC. The core staff of CIS will be based in the
Faculty of Health Sciences, supported by the leading academic implementation science team based in
the Faculty, and will also involve staff from the network of Wessex universities. The University of
Southampton will manage these staff on behalf of the AHSN.

CIS core staff will build networks of key thought leaders and change agents through which the
implementation support work of Wessex AHSN can be developed and extended across the region.
There are three proposed networks.

Analysing needs and designing interventions. This network will bring together clinicians, managers, and
private sector partners to explore opportunities for new clinical interventions, the evidence base that
supports them, and the wealth creation opportunities that they offer.

Inspiring and supporting change. This network will bring together the change agents and adopters
whose interventions are fundamental to research that crosses translational gaps and becomes
embedded in practice. This network will also support opportunities for wealth creation as they exploit
research and use it to solve practical problems.

Making change-makers. This network will provide a foundation for influencing the preparation and
development of the healthcare workforce across the region, especially in collaboration with Health
Education Wessex. Within this network participants will work to ensure the development of skills and
competencies that are needed to underpin knowledge transfer, and develop mechanisms for innovation
dissemination and diffusion.

CIS core staff will work collaboratively with partners from knowledge and practice economies across the
region, and draw on expertise from NHS trusts, private and third sector partners, and HEIs to build an
externally funded programme of work to support the AHSN. These core staff will link to clinical academic
fellows across the HEIs, and to relevant thought-leaders and change agents across the Wessex health
economy.

To support CIS, an international scientific advisory group (including key researchers/practitioners in
healthcare analysis, evidence synthesis, embedding change, and knowledge transfer) will assist in
guiding the development of new projects. This advisory group will also draw on senior staff active in the
proposed Wessex CLARHC.
First Year Programme Plan
Delivery
Activities
Q1
Q2
Comprehensive
core data
‘Deep dive’ area
1/ QIP initiative
analysis for
Wessex
Q3
Q4
Year 2
Milestones
and
Outcomes
Key feedback
tools to AHSN Baseline data
Partners
sets for initial
QIP
programmes
‘Deep dive’
programmes x
Evaluate key
2
Establish basis
‘Deep dive’ area performance
for future QIP
Develop
2/ QIP initiative framework for
initiatives
Establish
evaluation
Modelling
AHSN
Wessex
framework for
initiatives to
Information
AHSN
inform future AHSN
Network
dementia,
programme
nutrition and evaluation
alcohol
tools
programmes
Cost benefit
Cost benefit
evidence case
Identify priorities
evidence case 2
3 (QIP)
within QIP/Life
Evidence
Evidence base
(LSE)
Horizon
Cost benefit
Sciences
base for
for key AHSN
Scanning and
evidence case 1
Enterprise (LSE)
phase 2
change
External
Scoping
(QIP)
External scoping
programmes for
programmes programmes
scoping
exercise
detailed support
exercise
(Dementia)
(Nutrition)
Rolling
Adoption
Support
Initial QIP and
Establishing
Establishing
programme of
Diffusion and
Adoption/Spread Adopting LSE
LSE project
Innovation
commissioning/
adoption
Evaluating
impact of QIP
Initiative
spread
Adoption Forum provision links
support
Change
Initiative 1
accomplished
strategies
Developing mechanisms for
Initial
practice change e.g.
Diffusion
Exploiting
Establish joint
Diffusion
Workforce
collaboration/reporting tools,
support
Research and
working basis
Support
support/
video access, change agent
project 1/
Knowledge
with Wessex
projects 2, 3 development
support and project management
Training Tools
Transfer
CLARHC
and 4
programmes in
facilities. Engage HE Wessex,
development
place
identify joint programme.
Informing
AHSN work
programmes