From Insight to Inaction: Barriers Holding Back Innovation on the Frontlines of Healthcare

In healthcare it’s the frontline professionals, the nurses, doctors, paramedics, operating department practitioners, healthcare assistants, porters, anybody who deals with problems firsthand every day. These are the people who often spot issues early and sometimes even think of ways to fix them, whether it’s improving patient care, ideas for medical devices, streamlining processes, or making working conditions better. Many have flashes of inspiration and ideas worth exploring, but often feel it’s an impossible task or talk themselves out of even beginning to develop these solutions. For many staff the barriers can basically feel too big, too complicated, impossible, or too far outside their designated roles. Sometimes the problems simply become so normalised that they stop being seen as problems at all, but just part of “how things are.”

In this post, I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the key psychological, practical, and systemic barriers which more than often put healthcare workers off from turning their everyday problem-solving ideas into real, workable solutions that could potentially benefit both patients and staff worldwide.

Fear of Failure & Disempowerment

Fear of failure can be one of the biggest barriers healthcare workers face when it comes to contemplating developing their innovative solutions. Healthcare staff are highly trained and brilliant at what they do, however developing new projects and innovating can feel beyond the remit of many healthcare workers roles.  This can feel a step too far for many and be intimidating ground to walk upon.  I can relate personally as when I spotted my first innovation/problem the voice in my head for years told me “who are you to tackle such a big problem, that’s simply impossible, it's not for you.”  But the voice was wrong, it is possible, it is for you.

Many healthcare staff feel they simply don’t have the authority or lack the ability to develop their ideas, they may feel they don’t have permission to do so, a real sense of disempowerment. People may also worry their ideas won’t be taken seriously, or that trying something new could backfire in some way either personally or to their department/Trust/Profession.  What if it doesn’t work? What if it causes problems? What will people think? That fear alone is enough to keep many from beginning. I feel there is a real opportunity to counter this culture, campaigns or promotions within individual healthcare organisations which give staff the permission to develop their ideas, to build their confidence and tell them that it’s ok to try and possibly fail, whilst still working within their daily healthcare roles.

Perceived Hierarchy

Many healthcare settings are shaped by long-standing traditions and a strong sense of hierarchy, both formal and informal. This can make some staff feel like innovation just isn’t their place, isn't for them. The hierarchy can show up between different roles (like doctors and nurses), but also within departments, where junior staff may feel they can’t speak up around more senior colleagues.

There’s often a wider culture of resistance to change too, the feeling that “this is how we’ve always done it.” That kind of mindset can quietly stifle innovation. Take for example, a passionate healthcare worker who suggests a new approach to patient care. Instead of support, they’re met with scepticism or dismissal from colleagues who are more comfortable with the status quo. Over time, even the most motivated people may stop sharing ideas not because they don’t care, but because they don’t believe they’ll be heard.

Time Constraints

Healthcare professionals often work long hours, shiftwork, weekends, nights, constantly juggling competing demands in high-pressure environments.  In that context, finding time to develop new ideas even after sparks of inspiration or working on current innovative projects can feel completely daunting and impossible at times.

Many staff are suffering from burnout, especially after the Covid pandemic, exhaustion and heavy workloads leave little space for creative thinking, let alone turning that idea into a fully-fledged innovation project.  As a result, many promising ideas are simply set aside, not because they lack value, but because there isn’t the time or energy to explore them.

Lack of Support & Resources

Having a great idea is just the beginning, turning it into something real often requires time, funding, guidance, and encouragement. It can be the luck of the draw as to how much or little innovation support is available within healthcare workplaces.  This factor absolutely impacts the success of bringing an idea to fruition, as many staff require expert innovative support for the reasons discussed within this post. When support systems do exist, they often could be better promoted, staff on busy hospital departments may struggle and simply not have access to know about these support services available to them.

Without clear pathways, promotion of services, encouragement & support, it’s easy for innovation to linger.  When people have no idea where to turn for help or feel unsupported good ideas are likely to go nowhere.

Limited Knowledge of Innovation Processes

While healthcare workers are often highly skilled in clinical practice, many have little exposure to the steps involved in developing a new product or solution. Concepts like patenting, prototyping, regulatory approval, and fundraising can feel overwhelming and completely alien to most.

Few healthcare professionals receive any formal education or training in innovation. Without expert guidance or mentorship, even the most promising ideas/projects can slow down or never get out of the blocks. The process can feel too complex, too unfamiliar and that alone can be enough to stop people from even trying. Many give up, not because the idea lacks potential, but because they believe they don’t have the expertise to even know where to begin.

Insufficient Collaboration

Innovation often thrives on collaboration, especially across different roles and disciplines. But in many healthcare settings teams work in silos, with limited chances to share ideas, feedback, or experiences.

It can often be impossible for different groups of staff to effectively communicate issues beyond the immediate patient information in any given moment.  To sit down and have the time and space to discuss other matters such as innovative ideas is almost impossible, therefore valuable insights are simply never shared. One group might see a problem clearly, while another holds the key to solving it, but without space for open dialogue, those connections are never made. This lack of collaboration means that promising ideas often go undeveloped, simply because the right people never had the chance to sit down and chat.

Financial Implications

Turning a great idea into a real-world solution often requires funding, sometimes a lot of it. For many healthcare workers, the financial side of innovation feels like a major roadblock. Access to funding, investment, or even basic financial guidance is limited, and the process of securing support can seem complicated or out of reach.

Without clear financial pathways, even the most promising ideas can stall early. Many healthcare professionals worry their concepts won’t get off the ground simply because they lack the resources to make them happen. Over time, this can lead to frustration and the belief that innovation is only possible for those with the right connections or funding.

Moving Towards a Culture of Innovation

The barriers to innovation in healthcare are many but not insurmountable. Fear of failure, limited institutional support, lack of knowledge around innovation processes, time pressures, cultural resistance, siloed teams, and financial hurdles all contribute to an environment where staff may feel unable to develop their ideas.

Staff need to feel that they have permission to develop their innovative solutions to the problems they’ve identified.  They also need to feel that there is a team of specialists within the healthcare organisation who are there to support them, especially in the early stages.  Personal confidence in their idea, by the innovator may be very low at these early stages due to self-doubt and lack of experience, so enthusiasm and optimism from support specialists is vitally important to encourage perseverance.

By adopting practical, supportive strategies, healthcare organisations can create a culture that encourages the identification of problems, development of ideas, and ultimately new solutions to patient problems. Some steps include:

• Offering promotion/training on how to develop and implement new ideas

• Sharing real-life case studies that celebrate colleagues’ innovation

• Encouraging collaboration across roles and disciplines

• Promoting the availability/providing access to funding or support for promising projects

• Building a culture that actively welcomes change and values staff-led solutions

Healthcare workers are uniquely positioned to spot what’s not working within the healthcare setting, and to imagine what could work better. Because they engage with problems daily, they’re often the ones best placed to solve them. Yet many sometimes don’t even recognise they’re working around issues that could be addressed.

Many staff & colleagues have very good ideas to everyday healthcare problems, however developing those ideas into solutions is not for everybody.  The road is a long one and can be extremely bumpy, requiring a substantial amount of stubbornness and resilience to continue. Support early on is vital, at this early stage healthcare innovators confidence can be at it's lowest or even non-existent.

Dedicated innovation promotion to healthcare staff highlighting the fact that it’s ok to think about developing innovative ideas is so important. Case study success stories, expertise and support especially at the very early stages of a project, can be very powerful in inspiring and encouraging staff with innovative ambitions. This combined with pathways to funding, IP protection & prototyping, can only help increase the likelihood of healthcare staff taking the plunge, being brave and ultimately attempting to bring their idea into the world for the benefit of many.