Shelford Group Deputy Managing Director Ellie Carter introduces our 2025 impact report, looking back on the achievements of the Shelford Group over the last year…
We’re publishing this year’s impact report at an important time for our members and the wider NHS. Since our last report, the new government has set out its ambitions to build an NHS fit for the future, with focus on treating more people closer to home, preventing illness, and harnessing technological advancements to support staff and patients. We know that Shelford Group members have much to contribute to this agenda, with work well underway to show how these ambitions can be met. We know that we start from a challenging position –Lord Darzi’s investigation highlighted the challenges facing the healthcare system – and we have contributed to the development of the 10 Year Health Plan which will be published in the coming months to set out how those challenges can be overcome.
As a collaborative of ten major research and teaching trusts, our unique capabilities lie in convening academic and industry partnerships that can drive transformative advances in the prevention and treatment of disease, to the benefit of patients and the whole NHS. This year, Shelford members have led the way in national trials and the rollout of innovative treatments and technologies, including an artificial intelligence solution to accelerate lung cancer diagnosis, and a new radioactive therapy to treat glioblastoma.
We have continued to support and strengthen the work of our subgroups, enabling regular dialogue, peer learning and benchmarking across our ten members. Building on discussions at our 2024 event, we agreed a small set of priority areas to pursue collectively, focusing on productivity, artificial intelligence, and implementation of innovation.
We have continued to build and nurture strong working relationships with those who shape the context we work in – government, DHSC, NHS England, royal colleges, membership bodies, think tanks, and industry associations. To support our ambitions to be more outward facing, this year we also launched our ‘Quarterly Brief’ newsletter, through which we share more about our work with our partners. We have also used our collective voice to inform national thinking; through our response to Lord Darzi’s investigation, our submission to the 10 Year Health Plan consultation, and our engagements with those leading reviews of the CQC, the wider patient safety landscape, and diagnostics.
This impact report examines our work over the last year in more detail, and reflects on how we have used our collective capacity and influence to make a positive impact on patient outcomes, people’s health, and overall system sustainability. We hope that it demonstrates to both our members and our partners that working together, we can build an NHS fit for the future.
If you would like to find out more about the work of the Shelford Group, or have ideas for collaboration, please get in touch via info@shelfordgroup.org.