Next generation of high-growth health SMEs unveiled as digital health accelerators launch across the country

Five NHS digital health accelerators launch across England today, as part of the largest push yet to rapidly increase the speed of digital health products take up in the NHS.

Following a highly competitive process, 34 companies have been selected as some of the highest potential and best-placed to help England’s NHS meet the challenges of an ageing population and scarce resources.

The announcement comes days after the Health Secretary Matt Hancock vowed to “bring the NHS into the 21st century”, and shared his plans for the NHS to become the best in the world at using technology in healthcare. The global digital health market is expected to reach almost £43 billion by 2018 and £408 billion by 2025.

The schemes are run by the innovation arm of the NHS, Academic Health Science Networks, and partners, and launch today in London, Manchester, the South West, East Midlands, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. It is the first time it has operated beyond London, where a successful accelerator has been running for two years, saving in excess of £50 million for the NHS and working with 60 companies. The London programme generated 169 jobs for Londoners in just two years.

The 34 successful SMEs will receive:

• One-to-one support from a designated “NHS Navigator”: someone with strong clinical or NHS provider experience, who really know the NHS, and can help companies approach it
• Specialist training
• Support with product development
• Opportunities to meet experts from business, clinical, and government backgrounds
• Regular opportunities to showcase their products with NHS decision-makers and influencers.

Mike Hannay, Chair of England’s Academic Health Science Networks, which run the Accelerator schemes with partners, said: “Despite the array of talent and resources available, there is room for much better collaboration between SMEs and the health system to increase England’s competitiveness in digital innovation. Connections between entrepreneurial innovation and health are essential for England to realise its potential and become a world leader in digital health innovation. With Brexit on the horizon, this scheme is more important than ever before. We have seen rapid growth in the companies supported by our existing London accelerator and look forward to building on this with the next generation of start-ups.”

Dr Mark Harmon, Strategic Director at eConsult, one of the companies that took part in the 2017-18 London accelerator said: “For small health companies and start-ups, the NHS can be a very difficult place to navigate and do business. Whilst wanting to make positive changes for a sustainable NHS, there can be significant barriers to overcome. Working with the London accelerator programme has helped us with contacts and getting to the people that matter, and in turn contributed to an acceleration in our growth. We’ve almost doubled the number of practices we work in during the course of the scheme and are mobilising in almost four times as many.”

The successful companies include:

• Forward Clinical Ltd: a secure messaging and workflow app created by doctors that could save hospital doctors an average of 42 minutes per shift versus current communication tools.
• Healthy.io: an app turning smartphones into regulatory approved clinical devices for urine testing.
• My Possible Self: a mental health app proven to reduce stress, anxiety and depression in just eight weeks.
• Trustedoctor: a cloud-based, open platform that allows specialist physicians to quickly assess patients and consult with expert colleagues in a virtual setting.

See more about how the NHS is exploring new digital innovations here.

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 Notes to editors

• For more information, contact Rose de Mendonca, Communications Manager, DigitalHealth.London Accelerator E : rose.demendonca@nhs.net, T :07881010213
• Building on the successes of the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator, four new regional digital health accelerators have been set up by South West AHSN, East Midlands AHSN, Health Innovation Manchester, and Kent Surrey and Sussex AHSN.
• The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator is a partnership between London’s three Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) (Health Innovation Network, Imperial College Health Partners, UCLPartners), MedCity, and CW+. It is supported by the Mayor of London and is receiving up to £1.7 million of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.
• The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.
• The companies the five accelerators will work with are:

1. Healum Ltd
2. Synopsis Healthcare
3. Forward Clinical Ltd
4. IOCOM
5. Health Navigator
6. MeeTwo Education Ltd
7. Trakka Medical (HaMpton app)
8. Locum’s Nest
9. My Possible Self
10. MyMed Ltd (trading as Q doctor)
11. 23 Ltd
12. Doc Reports LTD (trading as i-GP)
13. Trayned Insight Ltd
14. Sentimoto Ltd
15. Dr Julian Medical Group Ltd
16. Active Health Tech Limited (trading as TrackActive)
17. Trustedoctor Ltd
18. MySense
19. Dr Toolbox
20. AccuRx Ltd
21. Digital Medical Supply UK (trading as LIVI)
22. Lavanya Plus Ltd
23. Ultramed
24. Spirit Digital
25. Signum Health
26. Red Ninja
27. MSKNote
28. Liquid Bronze (Malinko)
29. K2 Medical
30. Intelesant
31. Hospify
32. healthy.io
33. Health and Care Innovations LLP
34. Clinical Design Technologies
35. Brain in Hand