DigitalHealth.London Alumni and Current Companies Selected for 2024 NHS Innovation Accelerator

DigitalHealth.London alumni and current companies Cognitant, Dr Julian, Islacare, Surgery Hero, and Kidney Beam have been selected for the 2024 NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) cohort. Launched in 2015, the NIA is commissioned by the Accelerated Access Collaborative at NHS England, is delivered in partnership with all 15 Health Innovation Networks and hosted by UCLPartners.

The NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) is a three-year programme championing innovation and business growth within the health and care sector. With a core focus on enhancing patient care, improving NHS efficacy, and fostering employment growth in the UK, the NIA empowers Fellows to develop their innovations for use within the NHS and wider healthcare landscape.

Throughout the programme, the NIA Fellows will benefit from personalised support and mentorship from a diverse network of experts, including access to a wealth of resources, guidance, and collaborative opportunities with healthcare leaders and stakeholders.

In a time of immense challenge, these innovations have demonstrated outcomes that show us a vision of a better NHS for both staff and patients.

Jack Porter
Co-Director of the NHS Innovation Accelerator

Five out of the 12 Fellows chosen for the 2024 cohort are DigitalHealth.London alumnus or current companies:

Cognitant
(Evidence Generator Bootcamp Cohort 1)

• Cognitant democratises health information and provides people with accessible, visual and trustworthy health content through their information prescription platform, Healthinote, empowering them to better self-manage their care and improve NHS efficiency.

Dr Julian
(Accelerator Cohort 3)

• Dr Julian is an innovative mental healthcare platform web and mobile app that increases the accessibility of mental healthcare. They connect patients almost immediately to mental healthcare therapists via secure video/audio/text appointments using a calendar appointment booking system.

Islacare
(Accelerator Cohort 6)

• The Isla visual health record is designed to support patients and clinicians across the widest range of health conditions, from Ophthalmology to Dermatology in the acute setting, through to Tissue Viability and Therapies in the community. Isla was founded in London in 2019 and has been adopted rapidly by the NHS within acute and community settings.

Kidney Beam
(Accelerator Cohort 7)

• Kidney Beam is a clinically-proven, online exercise, education and well-being platform developed for people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Created in partnership with King’s College Hospital London, the platform offers live and on-demand classes and programmes led by physiotherapists and exercise professionals either trained in or living with CKD.

Surgery Hero
(Accelerator Cohort 6)

• Surgery Hero is the home of preparation and recovery experts. Their perioperative programme supports patients from the decision to operate, all the way through to recovery. The service combines expert human care, individually tailored content and cutting-edge tech to empower people to take control of their health so they can conquer their surgery.

For more information, visit Innovative Healthcare Solutions Take Centre Stage: Announcing the 2024 NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellows – NHS Innovation Accelerator (nhsaccelerator.com).

The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme is funded by the UK Government via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). It is delivered by the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London in partnership with the Office of Life Sciences, CW+, Medicity, NHS England, the Mayor of London and the Levelling Up Fund.

For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-
shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus.