Life as an NHS Navigator: Helping Early-Stage Health Tech Products Launch

In this blog, NHS Navigator for DigitalHealth.London Yasmin Stinchcombe shares her experiences in helping to deliver the DigitalHealth.London Launchpad programme, and why it benefits innovators looking to break into the NHS and health tech market.

Venturing into the health tech market with a new product or service can be both exciting and challenging for innovators. From crafting a compelling value proposition to navigating complex regulatory landscapes, digital health startups often face numerous hurdles.

As an NHS Navigator, I help companies overcome these barriers through the support we provide via our various DigitalHealth.London programmes. Our goal as NHS Navigators is to equip innovators with the knowledge and resources needed to launch, grow, and thrive in the industry, ultimately transforming the NHS and health and social care for the better.

In the DigitalHealth.London Launchpad programme, for instance, I help provide innovators with tailored support and connect them with subject matter experts within the DigitalHealth.London network.

Launchpad support

Designed for early-stage companies nearing launch, our Launchpad programme helps innovators refine and launch new digital health products and services with high potential to meet the current NHS and social care challenges.

Some of the ways I support participants in the Launchpad include:

• 1:1 support sessions: I help pair our companies with industry experts, who provide bespoke advice and strategies tailored to their specific needs and challenges. On the Launchpad programme, these sessions are usually focused on helping companies understand intellectual property (IP) or evidence generation.

• Workshops with subject matter experts: As part of the programme, I coordinate sessions to help companies with the different aspects of running a successful business within the health tech space. This includes value proposition, digital safety and compliance training, evidence generation and communications. These workshops help innovators improve their operational strategies, including learning to design and conduct studies, gather real-world evidence, and comply with industry standards.

• NHS funding and market entry support: For health tech companies aiming to enter the UK market, understanding the NHS funding mechanisms and market entry strategies is critical. We help innovators navigate these frameworks by helping them engage with key stakeholders, meet regulatory requirements and demonstrate their product or service’s value to NHS decision-makers.

Working with early-stage digital health companies through the Launchpad is incredibly inspiring, especially as I get to witness their rapid evolution firsthand. Seeing how quickly they can innovate and make a tangible impact on the future of healthcare serves as a powerful reminder of the potential we have to transform the industry for the better.

Applications for the DigitalHealth.London Launchpad programme are now open and will close at midnight on Sunday, August 18. Find out more and apply now.

The DigitalHealth.London Launchpad 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, and the Mayor of London.

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