Imperial College Health Partners (ICHP), the Health Innovation Network for North West London (NWL), has published a new report, setting out what three years of mission-led health innovation has taught one of the UK’s largest health and care systems about moving beyond short-term pilots to deliver sustained, population level impact.
Missions for better health: Reflections from system-wide innovation in North West London captures reflections, lessons and recommendations from NWL’s work as the first region in England to adopt a mission-led approach.
The model focuses on aligning system partners around a small number of shared priorities over a longer time, with the explicit aim of enabling scale and system-wide change.
At a time when the NHS is under pressure to improve productivity, prevention and population health outcomes, the report positions mission-led working as a practical alternative to fragmented innovation activity that can struggle to translate into lasting impact.
Key learnings from the report include the importance of:
- Shared ownership across partners: with missions co-designed and delivered across the NHS, academia, and industry rather than led by a single organisation
- Planning for scale from the outset: embedding pathways for dissemination, adoption and sustainability alongside early innovation activity
- High-quality, shared data as a critical foundation: enabling partners to align around outcomes, track progress and make informed decisions over time
The report aims to serve as a practical blueprint for others interested in applying this model to health innovation.
Its publication coincides with the announcement of NWL’s new system-wide mission for research and innovation, which will focus on obesity. The new mission follows the conclusion of the mission, centred on enabling more days at home for residents through improved discharge practices, in December 2025 – this work will continue across the region as business as usual, under the leadership of the newly created West and North London Integrated Care Board (ICB)
Dr Dominique Allwood, Chief Executive of ICHP, said:
“This has been a completely new way of working and has required a fundamental shift away from short-term projects towards a greater focus on long-term outcomes. It has challenged how the system prioritises, works with partners, and how we measure success.
Our report is an honest account of what this has enabled and where it has been difficult. While mission-led working can have challenges, it offers real potential to address complex challenges that cannot be solved through isolated initiatives.
Thanks to a system willing to work in new ways, we have developed an approach with real potential for system-wide impact. But this is only the beginning. We hope our experience will inspire others and encourage wider discussion about mission-led healthcare.”
Toby Lambert, Executive Director of Strategy & Population Health at NWL Integrated Care System, said:
“The missions have acted as a catalyst for the system. Rather than being a collection of individual projects or useful products, they’ve created a vehicle for bringing together a wide range of stakeholders around a common purpose. They’ve also helped us differentiate between work that delivers an immediate operational return and work that requires longer-term investment. Having both in view is essential.”
A panel of speakers, including ICHP colleagues and NWL partners, will be sharing the learning, reflections, and insights from this way of working at a national Innovation Insights webinar hosted by the Health Innovation Network tomorrow (Tuesday 24 February). Our panel of speakers will share reflections on implementing the approach and discussed its implications for other systems looking to approach innovation at scale.
Dominique added:
“We see this as an evolving model rather than a finished product. As we begin work on NWL’s new mission focused on obesity, we are keen to collaborate with partners who are interested in testing, strengthening and adapting this approach in their own systems.”
Read Missions for better health: Reflections from system-wide innovation in North West London or to find out more about mission-led approaches and ICHP’s work contact communications.engagement@imperialcollegehealthpartners.com.
