Adoption of innovation is slow, resulting in an inefficient health service

New technologies are coming to market, but are not being adopted quickly by the healthcare services. This could mean that patients are not provided with the best possible quality of care. There could also be geographical variations in the rate of adoption of innovation, resulting in differences in quality and level of care provision. This could drive an increase in medical tourism both within the UK and to other countries which, through better use of new technology, drugs, ways of working etc., have surpassed the UK in providing quality care.

Proposed workforce impact

Increased need for more healthcare professionals than would otherwise be necessary, because of inefficiencies in the service provided.

Additional research questions

• Who are the current leaders of medical research in the UK?
• What are the current trends in this area and how will this impact on the workforce?

Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.