DigitalHealth.London Accelerator opens for applications

DigitalHealth.London has opened applications to our flagship Accelerator programme for the next generation of digital health companies to transform health and care. Digital innovations are a vital tool in tackling the challenges facing the NHS and social care, such as supporting the workforce, addressing health inequalities and delivering a net zero NHS. The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator aims to speed up the adoption of technology in London’s NHS, relieving high pressure on services and empowering patients to manage their health.

Now in its seventh consecutive year, the NHS-delivered programme, has supported 143 of the biggest and most effective digital innovations now being used by the NHS and social care, and many scaling globally. Examples include Huma, DrDoctor, Peppy Health, eConsult, Echo, AccuRx and HN. Over 600 additional contracts have been signed by companies during Accelerator support and the programme was also named Accelerator of the Year at the UKBAA Angel Investment Awards 2022.

DigitalHealth.London is passionate about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the long-term success of innovation and transformation within the NHS. We continue to work to ensure the Accelerator programme is diverse and are particularly keen to encourage innovators who identify as being from a minority group to apply to the programme.

Sara Nelson, Programme Director at DigitalHealth.London, said: “We are extremely proud of the companies we have worked with over the past six years and the impact they’ve had. Today we are excited to accept applications for the next cohort of innovators to join our Accelerator programme. With the growing need for safe and effective digital innovations, in areas such as rehabilitation, long term condition management and virtual monitoring, we are looking to support digital health companies at the forefront of innovation to bring solutions to the NHS staff and patients who need them.”

Dr. Chris Streather, Regional Medical Director and Chief Clinical Information Officer for NHS England, London Region, said,“DigitalHealth.London exemplifies the way AHSNs and local partners can work together to support innovators and the NHS across a region. The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme provides a fantastic opportunity for companies on the forefront of healthcare innovation to gain insight into the inner workings of the NHS and how best to work with healthcare organisations to bring their products and services to the people that need them. The Accelerator works to strengthen local entrepreneurial ecosystems and to support diverse founders to collaborate with the NHS, in turn allowing them to successfully scale and drive economic growth in London and Nationally.”

Rishi Das Gupta, CEO of the Health Innovation Network, said, “The DigitalHealth.London programme has been a great platform for companies to accelerate the spread of products with real potential to improve health outcomes for patients and make work easier for health and care staff. The Health Innovation Network is proud to run DigitalHealth.London and the Accelerator, which is one of the leading programmes for digital health companies in Europe. We are grateful to all our partners and collaborators for their support and especially to the Office for Life Sciences for funding which supports our ongoing activity to help innovators.”

Chris Chaney, Chief Executive of CW+, said, “We have worked closely to support previous cohorts of the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme. This has helped us to establish connections with companies at the forefront of digital health innovation and since 2016, approximately 15% of companies in the first five cohorts of the Accelerator have been adopted by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – the highest adoption of Accelerator companies by a single Trust. The partnership has helped us grow CW Innovation and become one of the leading sites for the adoption of digital innovations to improve patient care and experience.”

Anas Nader, Co-Founder, Patchwork Health, Accelerator programme 2019-20, said, “We’re so proud of how widely our technology has already been embraced across the NHS and the impact we’re having on the lives of thousands of clinicians. We were delighted to join the 2019-20 cohort of DigitalHealth.London’s Accelerator, a brilliant programme speeding up adoption of digital health innovations in the NHS. The programme has provided us with opportunities to connect with industry experts as well as other healthtech innovators. I’d encourage companies like ours with good ideas and big ambitions to apply.”

Ross O’Brien, Managing Director of WYSA, Accelerator programme 2022, said “We’ve had access to the leaders in the NHS and been able to showcase what we can offer to change lives and make clinicians lives easier. The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator has created a network we will remain connected to far beyond this year. I learnt the value and importance of our story as clinicians and service users and how to communicate this. I met other amazing innovators and was able to trade skills and ideas in a community of learning.”

The programme is for digital health companies with a product or service that has high potential to meet the challenges facing the NHS and social care today. It provides companies with bespoke support and advice through a team of specialist NHS Navigators, a programme of expert-led workshops and events, and brokers meaningful connections between innovators and NHS organisations with specific challenges. The companies that are successful in getting onto the Accelerator programme are chosen through a rigorous and highly competitive selection process, involving expert NHS and industry panel assessments, interviews and due diligence checks. Companies successful in gaining a place on the programme usually have a product or service that is already in use in the NHS and is ready to scale. Company suitability is assessed based on company maturity, product potential (meaning products that have high potential to meet NHS challenges) and on the company’s capacity to benefit from the programme (meaning companies have enough time and staff to engage).

For more information about the Accelerator, visit: https://digitalhealth.london/programmes/accelerator

Join a discussion with the Programme Director, an NHS Navigator and one of the digital health companies that has been supported by the programme on the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator 101 Webinar at 2:30pm on 7 March 2023: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvfuyhrTkuHtwDaJLTooD5OvViz9ZjQlHE  

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Notes to editors

Interviews and further information

For more information, including interviews, statements and images, please contact Megan Truman, DigitalHealth.London Accelerator, Communications Lead on 07794276022 or megan.truman@nhs.net.

• DigitalHealth.London Accelerator

Applications open on Monday 27 February for five weeks. The deadline for companies to apply is 23:59 Monday 3 April 2023. For companies offered a place on the programme, support will begin in June.

The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator is the flagship programme of DigitalHealth.London. It is aimed at digital health companies that would benefit from better engagement with the NHS and the wider health sector, in order to refine, develop and scale products and services that meet the needs of the system.

DigitalHealth.London and its Accelerator is run by Health Innovation Network as a partnership with CW+ and MedCity, and with the support of the NHS, Office of Life Sciences, Greater London Authority and many other stakeholders.

More information about the Accelerator programme and details of how to apply: digitalhealth.london/programmes/accelerator

The application form can be found here:

A full list of companies to have been supported by the Accelerator programme can be found here:

digitalhealth.london/innovation-directory/companies

Join the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator 101 Webinar at 2:30pm on 7 March 2023: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvfuyhrTkuHtwDaJLTooD5OvViz9ZjQlHE 

*DigitalHealth.London Accelerator Interim Evaluation report available to download here: digitalhealth.london/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Digital-Health-Accelerator_Interim-Report_v1-2.pdf

• DigitalHealth.London

Since 2016, DigitalHealth.London has been focusing on accelerating the adoption of digital innovation by linking health and care organisations with digital health innovators for the benefit of patients and populations. It accelerates the adoption of digital innovations across health and care to improve patient and population outcomes and experience and supports a sustainable future NHS. DigitalHealth.London is delivered by Health Innovation Network with the support of partners globally.

In addition, CW+, the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital charity, is a partner in the delivery of DigitalHealth.London Accelerator, Launchpad and Evidence Generation Bootcamp programmes.

DigitalHealth.London’s other programmes include:

• Digital Pioneer Fellowship – a 12-month programme that supports NHS staff in London and the South East to design, lead and deliver digital transformation.
• Generator – A programme driving evidence generation as a foundation of digital transformation through connecting digital health companies with academics and research organisations.
• Launchpad – A three-month programme that supports digital health companies to refine and launch new, innovative digital health products and services to the NHS and social care market. 

For more information, please see digitalhealth.london

• Health Innovation Network

Health Innovation Network is the Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) for south London, one of 15 AHSNs across England. As the only bodies that connect NHS and academic organisations, local authorities, the third sector and industry, we are uniquely placed to increase the spread and adoption of innovation across large populations, at pace and scale. The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator is part of our enhanced offer to support economic growth as funded by the Office of Life Sciences. For more information, please visit healthinnovationnetwork.com.

• MedCity

MedCity is the cluster organisation for the world-leading health and life sciences sector in London and the Greater South East of England. Supported by the Mayor of London, the London Academic Health Science Centres, and research institutes and life sciences organisations across the region, MedCity acts as a front door to the sector. For more information, please visit medcityhq.com.

• CW+

CW+ is the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Supporters and partners enable the charity to: invest in the CW Innovation programme to identify and implement high-impact innovation initiatives and new digital solutions that address some of the real-time challenges that healthcare organisations face today; build and enhance clinical facilities to create an outstanding healing environment for patients and staff; and deliver a unique art and design programme to transform the experience and wellbeing of our patients. For more information, please visit cwplus.org.uk.

• The Academic Health Science Networks (AHSN)

The AHSN Network, comprising the 15 academic health science networks (AHSNs) across England, exists to transform the way the NHS identifies, adopts, and spreads innovation. Our regional AHSNs work closely with businesses and individual innovators to help realise the potential of their ideas. The unique role of the AHSNs means we bridge the gap between the NHS and industry, bringing the very best innovative solutions to the NHS and helping to create economic growth by harnessing the NHS investment. Our commission from the Government’s Office for Life Sciences (OLS) enables us to do this in a structured and methodical way, answering the needs of the health and care system and of innovators with ideas that match system challenges. Programmes like the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator form part of the distinctive offer of the Health Innovation Network.

For more information, please see ahsnnetwork.com.