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ISO 56001

ISO56001 Implementation at Velindre Innovation

Velindre Innovation is leading the adoption of ISO 56001, the international standard for innovation management systems, to establish a structured and effective approach to innovation within healthcare. Achieving the BSI Kitemark will signify trusted quality and reinforce Velindre’s position as a leader in healthcare innovation.

Strategic Benefits
Achieving ISO56001 certification will:

  • Strengthen organisational reputation by demonstrating alignment with internationally recognised standards for innovation management.
  • Provide a robust governance framework, ensuring innovation activity is structured, auditable, and compliant.
  • Increase opportunities for collaboration and funding, showcasing a systematic and mature approach to managing innovation.
  • Embed a culture of innovation that is sustainable and measurable across all services, supporting long-term transformation and improvement in patient care.

Introduction to ISO56001  

An organisation’s ability to innovate is recognised as a key factor for sustained growth, economic viability, increased well-being, and the development of society. 

The innovation capabilities of an organisation include the ability to understand and respond to changing conditions of its context, to pursue new opportunities, and to leverage the knowledge and creativity of the people within the organisation, and in collaboration with external interested parties. 

At Velindre University NHS Trust we are committed to improving lives, and we will do this through providing excellent care, inspirational learning, and translating ideas and creativity into innovative practices, services, and treatments.   We recognise the opportunity to collaborate across Regional Health Systems and wider networks to join our care and become a beacon for research, development and innovation in our priority areas. 

We recognise the importance of harnessing the power of innovation to drive change and to continually improve our approaches across our Organisation and Divisions of Velindre Cancer Services and the Welsh Blood Service.  To support us in our journey we have established an Innovation Policy and Innovation management system aligned to the requirements of ISO56001 to determine our innovation vision, strategy, policy and objectives, and to establish the support and processes needed to achieve the intended outcomes. 

This framework will support us initiate and develop innovation through to business-as-usual operations in line with the following important principles; 

  1. Realisation of value 
  1. Future-focused leaders 
  1. Strategic direction 
  1. Culture 
  1. Exploiting insights 
  1. Managing uncertainty 
  1. Adaptability 
  1. Systems approach 

ISO56001 is based on a plan-do-check-act cycle that enables continual improvement of the innovation management system to ensure that innovation initiatives and processes are adequately supported, resourced and managed, and that opportunities and risks are identified and addressed by the organisation.