Facilitating technology adoption in the NHS: negotiating the organisational and policy context – a qualitative study

Background: Proven clinical effectiveness and patient safety are insufficient to ensure adoption and implementation of new clinical technologies. Despite current government policy, clinical technologies are not yet demand-led through commissioning. Hence, adoption and implementation relies on providers. Introducing new technologies initially raises providers' costs as they necessitate training, alter patient pathways and change patient management, and may lead to reduced patient throughput in the short term. The current funding regime for providers -Payment by Results (PbR)rewards activity. It is not surprising, therefore, that providers often see new technologies as risky.