Mahiben Maruthappu – DigitalHealth.London and hopes for the next 12 months

Mahiben Maruthappu has recently joined the governing board of Digital Health.London (DH.L) as the representative for NHS England, and today discusses why he feels DH.L is such an important initiative for the capital:

Talking to Natalie Hudson of Imperial College Health Partners, one of DH.L’s delivery partners, he said: “NHS England is very keen to be involved as a partner of the DH.L programme, it’s a fantastic opportunity for London and one which we’re keen to support.

“London already has world-leading primary care centres, hospitals, technology hubs and research communities – DH.L has a crucial role to play in bringing all of these together, to turn London into the global capital for digital healthcare, and help ensure innovations are adopted faster into the NHS.

“DH.L is unique because it is driven by the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), AHSCs and the Mayor of London’s office, with their respective stakeholders. It is able to bring together NHS, industry, technology and research communities, allowing for the selection and support of truly demand-driven innovations. This allows us to work more effectively with the front-line to create digital solutions which really do meet clinical needs, rather than solving problems we may not experience at the point of care.

He added: “Digital solutions will democratise and decentralise healthcare in coming years, as people have greater control over their own health through, for example, self-care platforms social networks, online consultations and access to their own healthcare records. London, and DH.L are uniquely positioned to accelerate this.

“In 12 months’ time, I’d ideally like to see DH.L help grow London’s community of active healthcare companies, supporting their integration into our health system, while attracting investment from industry. The DH.L Accelerator will undoubtedly play a large part in this, as it will be providing focused support to SMEs.

“NHS England is extremely proud to be a partner in this great initiative, and we’re really pleased to be able to support its delivery.”

To find out more about Mahiben and read his previous blogs, visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/publications/blogs/mahiben-maruthappu/