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Proud to be part of the Digital Health Accelerator South West 2018

Posted on by Bethan Hastelow
21
Nov

Health & Care Videos has been selected to be part of the Digital Health Accelerator South West 2018 programme. This is part of the national Digital Health Accelerator (DHA) that supports 35 digital health companies for a 12 month period.

What is the DHA programme?

The aim of the national DHA programme is to speed up the adoption of technology in the NHS. By using these innovations the DHA team hope to relieve the pressure on existing services and empower patients to manage their own health.

“In its 70th year, the NHS continues to support the spread of cutting edge innovation, from championing specific innovations to supporting frontline clinicians to develop their services. I look forward to seeing patients from across the country benefit as more companies are supported to bring their innovations into the NHS.”
Juliet Bauer, Chief Digital Officer at NHS England.

The DHA programme originated in London, supporting companies like Babylon, eConsult and Echo for a year long process.

This year, they have decided to expand this programme to include five regions:

  • East Midlands
  • London
  • Manchester
  • South West England
  • Kent, Surrey and Sussex

By widening the scope of this programme, it gives patients across the country the opportunity to benefit from these new innovations and start-ups and SMEs access to the expertise and connections they need to get into the NHS.

“When SMEs with fantastic products can’t access the NHS, it is the patients that miss out. 

“We’ve seen time and time again that digital technologies can make a major difference and help the NHS save resource – whether it’s slashing waiting times in A&E or helping people manage long term conditions and live healthier lives.

“By taking our successful model to four new locations across the country, we know we’ll meet even more incredible companies with innovative products that can help the NHS.”
Harriet Harniess, Programme Director, Digital Health London Accelerator.

Innovators and companies can benefit through faster entry or adoption of technology as well as the new connections with industry leaders and support through product and service creation.

The Digital Health Accelerator South West 2018

The Digital Health Accelerator South West was launched in September 2018. This area was selected as it’s a vibrant digital health business and innovation community, with several digital exemplar NHS sites throughout the region.

The South West Academic Health Science Network (SW AHSN) is running this programme. It aims to use the Digital Health Accelerator South West to build a regional eco-system of support that can accelerate the adoption and spread of new innovations in healthcare. 

They do this by selecting five local start-ups or SMEs that they will support for a 12 month period.

What will these companies get from the DHA programme?

There are several benefits for the companies involved in the Digital Health Accelerator South West. 

Each company will receive one-to-one support from a designated small team of NHS and care navigators in addition to specialist training and workshops. They will also have opportunities to meet experts from a range of backgrounds including business, clinical, managerial and government specialties. 

The support these companies get focuses on these specific areas:

  • Engaging clinicians and healthcare experts
  • Refining products to meet NHS need
  • Deepening understanding of the health system
  • Showcasing innovations in health facilities
  • Developing business models to progress product development
  • Accessing and navigating the market

They will also be able to attend regular events where they can showcase their products or services to NHS and care-care-decision makers and influencers, making the route to entry much easier.

Which local companies were selected?

We are very proud to say that Health & Care Videos was selected as one of the Digital Health Accelerator South West companies. 

Our aim aligns with the DHA programme, as we aim to reduce costs, increase capacity and empower patients by putting knowledge directly into their hands using video. The contacts and expertise provided by the Digital Health Accelerator South West will help us showcase our video libraries and the transformative power they have.

There are four other innovative companies that were selected as part of our region, and they’re all making exciting advances in healthcare.

  • Clinical Design Technologies – Researches and develops powerful medical devices to solve real-world healthcare challenges – e.g. Urine testing system with digital analyser that assesses ten parameters without the need for decanting, making the process more accurate.
  • K2 Medical System – Develops a range of systems to support maternity services and improve pregnancy outcomes – e.g. K2 Athena™, an electronic Personal Health Record System that integrates with all departments involved throughout pregnancy (Antenatal Hospital Services & Labour Delivery Services etc).
  • Signum Health – Supports people in need of non-clinical care through a social prescribing tool – e.g. GPs can prescribe patients to local non-medical services that will help their health, for example a carer’s support group.
  • Ultramed – Builds a suite of cloud-hosted pre-procedure assessment programmes that allow patients to enter and share their health information easily – e.g. Patients use a quiz in MyPreOp to submit their general information, which the platform turns into a Clinical Summary to be reviewed by the preoperative assessment team. This report will highlight any areas of concern.

Digital Health Accelerator 2018/19 Launch

As part of the DHA, all the companies selected by the Digital Health Accelerator South West and other regions travelled to London for the first event of the programme.

Our Director, Richard, and our Head of Sales and Marketing, Ellen, made the trip and had a great time at the event. They used this opportunity to meet all the other companies involved. Here’s a quick list of the remaining 29 companies so you can find out more about them:

East Midlands AHSN

Health Innovation Manchester

Kent, Surrey, Sussex AHSN

DigitalHealth.London Accelerator

At the event, each company gave a sixty second presentation on their company and how they slotted into the DHA programme.

“It was really exciting to be in a room full of like-minded individuals who are dedicated to improving healthcare through digital innovation. It’s an honour to be involved in such a group, and it’s a great opportunity to learn new skills and develop Health & Care Videos even further.”
Richard Wyatt-Haines, Founder & Director of Health & Care Videos.

As a company, we are proud to be part of the Digital Health Accelerator South West 2018. This gives us great opportunities for growth and the ability to improve health and care throughout the region.

By working with the SW AHSN team and the other companies involved, we will free up clinical time and empower patients to manage their own health. We’ll be at the forefront of healthcare innovation, so we can’t wait to see where this goes next.

Bethan Hastelow
Bethan Hastelow