Benefits, Testimonial & Impact
Benefits
The Health Innovation Expedition was originally designed to introduce potential innovators to how innovation works in practice — including problem definition, disclosure, working with technology transfer teams, and developing the confidence and tools needed to research problems and propose credible solutions.
In practice, delivery of the course has consistently generated benefits well beyond those original aims, both for participants and for the organisations involved.
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Participants develop credible, well-evidenced cases for change, grounded in real clinical or system needs rather than abstract ideas
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Interdisciplinary teams form quickly and work effectively, often continuing to collaborate beyond the course itself
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Innovation projects progress further and faster than originally anticipated, with some taken forward as formal development or implementation projects
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Organisations gain a clearer pipeline of ideas that are better framed, more realistic, and easier to support through existing governance and innovation structures
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Participants report increased confidence and capability in engaging with innovation - including pitching, working with support teams, and navigating complex systems
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Managers and support teams develop a shared language and understanding, improving communication between innovators, leadership, and innovation or transformation functions
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Networks are strengthened or newly created, connecting participants with regional, national and sector-specific innovation support that persists beyond the programme
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The course frequently delivers more than originally intended, acting as a catalyst for wider cultural change, new partnerships, and the creation of new innovation activity
Additionally for organisations and institutions this course addresses and meets:
The Topol Review
The course supports the aims of the Topol Review by helping the NHS workforce develop the understanding, confidence and skills needed to engage positively with innovation. Participants gain a practical appreciation of how innovation works in health settings — including how new ideas are generated, assessed and progressed — making them more receptive to change and better able to contribute constructively. This includes developing their own ideas in ways that avoid duplication, build on existing solutions, and encourage collaborative working across disciplines and organisations. By strengthening innovation literacy across the workforce, the course helps create the conditions needed for safer adoption of new technologies, services and ways of working.
Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England
Fit for the Future: the 10 Year Health Plan for England highlights the need for an NHS workforce that can engage confidently with innovation, adapt to new models of care, and work collaboratively across organisational boundaries. It emphasises the role of innovation, digital approaches and empowered staff in delivering more sustainable, responsive services. The Health Innovation Expedition supports these aims by developing practical understanding of how innovation works in health systems. Through interdisciplinary, problem-focused learning, participants build the confidence and capability needed to contribute to service transformation and support the adoption of new approaches aligned with the ambitions of the 10 Year Plan
Teaching Excellence Framework
The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) emphasises high-quality teaching, effective learning environments and strong outcomes for students, including progression and employability. It places particular value on courses that engage students actively, develop transferable skills, and connect learning to real-world contexts. The Health Innovation Expedition aligns with these aims by providing an experiential, interdisciplinary learning environment where participants apply knowledge in practice, work collaboratively, and develop confidence, judgement and professional skills. The course supports employability and progression by helping students and early-career professionals understand how their learning translates into real organisational and societal contexts, while maintaining academic rigour and reflective practice.
Testimonial
Testimonial - Talking Heads Videos
Lincoln University and the East Midlands Community for Allied Health Professions Research network (2023-2024).
In June and July 2024, the second iteration of the Health Innovation Expedition was delivered for the East Midlands Allied Health Professionals Research Network and researchers from the University of Lincoln. Building on the previous year’s cohort, participants from both years are now organically forming a meaningful regional Innovation Champion Network, extending the impact of the course beyond its original delivery.
The short videos below capture reflections from participants and partners on what they gained from the course, how it influenced their thinking and practice, and the value of working in interdisciplinary teams. The videos were recorded by The University of Lincoln and are used with kind permission. The links will redirect to The Health Innovation Expedition YouTube channel:
In June and July 2023, we ran the first iteration of The Health Innovation Expedition bringing together research expertise from the university with clinical expertise from the region's Allied Health professions Network. This was a big event and has caused a huge positive stir in the East Midlands region. To see some of the feedback please click on the links below. These will open in a new tab on our YouTube channel:
Sheffield Hallam University Pre-Reg Students (2018)
Here are some of the students from the June 2018 cohort who have gone on to start careers in the NHS from Sheffield Hallam University talking about their experiences of the course. These will open in a new tab on our YouTube channel:
Testimonial - Clients and Host Organisation Facilitators
Alongside participant perspectives, feedback from commissioning organisations, host institutions, facilitators and external contributors provides insight into what it is like to work with The Health Innovation Expedition in practice.
The course has been commissioned and delivered across a range of academic, NHS and sector-led settings, including the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at Sheffield Hallam University, and the Medtech Foundation and Translate:Medtech consortium (Universities of York, Leeds, Leeds Beckett, Bradford and Huddersfield). More recently, delivery has taken place with the University of Lincoln and the East Midlands Allied Health Professions Research Network.
In 2025, the course was delivered for Doncaster & Bassetlaw NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bradford, reflecting continued demand and repeat commissioning across both NHS and higher education settings. Further courses will run in 2026. The testimonials below reflect experiences of commissioning, hosting and contributing to the course, including perspectives from Dragons and facilitators involved in delivery:
Kirsten Guy
AHP Research Lead for Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust & University of Lincoln
I have worked with Fabian for the last year as he brought his Health and Care Innovation Course to the East Midlands, hosted by the University of Lincoln.
The course was a great success and has inspired new innovators from across the East Midlands. Fabian is an expert in his field and a fantastic teacher, with a novel and fun teaching style. It has been a pleasure to be surrounded by his passion and enthusiasm, it is infectious!
Professor Heidi Probst MBE
Professor of Radiotherapy and Oncology
Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Sheffield Hallam University
It is great working with Fabian on the Research and Innovation course which is based on his Health
Innovation Expedition.
His passion for the course is infectious.
The course participants leave enthused, elated and keen to start on their own innovation expedition in their place of work.
The course covers all aspects of the innovation pathway and I love teaching on this course with Fabian, it is my favourite
Dr Danielle Miles
Technology Innovation Manager
Translate - Grow:Medtech
I have worked with Fabian now for two consecutive years on the Translate bootcamp for early career researchers, and I strongly believe that Fabian's knowledge of medtech innovation, real life experience and boundless energy has greatly helped to make the bootcamp the success it is. Fabian always puts more than 100% into the course delivery and his ability to deliver what could potentially be some dry content in an engaging way with tireless enthusiasm is second to none.
A lot of participants approached me at the end of the boot camp to thank me for an excellent 3 days and to commend Fabian as a tutor, I don't think it would have been the same without him.
Tom Wright
MMRS Senior Innovation & Commercialisation Officer
Medilink, North of England
This is an excellent course which prepares delegates with the tools and knowledge required to understand and navigate the innovation landscape from within the NHS.
As a professional working with companies of all sizes on medical innovation, I was extremely impressed with the quality of work presented to us as Dragons and believe that the experience the delegates had will be invaluable as they embark upon careers as innovators in healthcare
Impact
One of the tangible outcomes from delivery of the Health Innovation Expedition at the University of Lincoln in 2023 was the creation of the Lincolnshire Research and Innovation Hub - Lincolnshire Improvement for Everyone (LIfE). The hub was officially launched at the University of Lincoln on 17 April 2024.
LIfE is a virtual hub bringing together members of the public, health and care staff, university colleagues and partner organisations to support research and innovation activity across Lincolnshire and beyond. The course helped provide the space, relationships and shared understanding that contributed to the hub’s development, and it was a privilege to be involved at an early stage in what has become a significant regional initiative.
In addition to this, at least one innovation developed through the course has been implemented within United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, resulting in a measurable reduction in hospital complaints. This work was subsequently reported as a news article by the BBC, providing independent validation of real-world impact.
Acknowledgements
The Health Innovation Expedition draws on Fabian’s personal experience of innovation in health, alongside established innovation and business models including the Fourth Innovation Model, Stage-Gate, and Business Model Generation. These frameworks are adapted and combined to support practical, applied learning rather than taught as abstract theory.
The course has also been enriched through the generous support of individuals and organisations who have contributed materials, case studies, examples, videos and insight. Their contributions have helped ensure the course remains diverse, engaging and grounded in real-world practice.
Full credit and acknowledgement is given within the course materials to all organisations and individuals who have supported delivery, including appropriate attribution for the permitted use of copyrighted content. In many cases, this also provides a valuable opportunity to raise awareness of current innovations and organisational activity among students, researchers and NHS staff.
Web links were correct at the time of publication (February 2026). Sincere thanks to all those who have contributed to the development and delivery of the course, including colleagues and partners from:
School of Health & Social Care, Sheffield Hallam University - School of Health & Care Sciences, University of Lincoln - Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria - Health Innovation East Midlands - Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber - Tal Golesworthy, Exstent Ltd - West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust - South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust - NAViGO Health & Social Care CIC - The Kings Fund - The UK Intellectual Property Office - Zilico Ltd - Dr Patrick Trotter, Medilink North of England - Picker Experience Network - Moore Barlow LLP - ETC Toolkit - Health Tech Enterprise Ltd - PCMIS Improving Patient Wellbeing (University of York) - Thrive by Design - NIHR Research Support Service - Dr Dominic Petronzi, University of Derby - Docabode Ltd - Gijs van Wulfen - Tom Gould - Philippa Hedley-Takhar - Thomas Wright - Dr Chris Smejkal