The NHS has selected 17 healthtech innovators to join the Innovation Accelerator, part of its Five Year Forward View commitment to transform the culture of innovation within the organisation.
Participants include AliveCor with its mobile heart monitor, the Patients Know Best personal health data platform, the Sleepio digital sleep improvement system and peer-to-peer social network HealthUnlocked.
“The NHS stands on the cusp of a revolution in innovation,” said Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England’s national medical director. “At its heart, innovation is the will to better, to find solutions for existing needs or new problems through more effective products, processes, technology or even the way we deliver services.
“Today we increase the opportunity for improving patient care by creating new conditions for ideas to thrive.”
Peter Hames, CEO and cofounder of Big Health, creators of Sleepio, said: “It’s an honour to be appointed as an NHS Innovation Fellow, and a unique opportunity to get evidence-based digital medicine such as Sleepio to the millions in the UK who would benefit.”
Participants, many of whom are professional clinicians, get mentoring, a bursary and support through the Academic Health Science Networks, and could see their products rolled out across the entire NHS.