DigitalHealth.London has launched to speed up the use of new digital health technologies by bringing together clinicians, healthcare providers, research institutes, entrepreneurs and industry to give companies a clearer route to market based on the needs of patients and the NHS.

Its first major project is a new Digital Health Accelerator program that will support emerging companies working in the digital healthcare sector.

First proposed by the London Health Commission report by Lord Darzi in 2014, DigitalHealth.London is a collaboration between MedCity, the Mayor of London’s life sciences promotional agency for the greater south east, the Greater London Authority, and the capital’s three Academic Health Science—the Health Innovation Network, Imperial College Health Partners and UCLPartners.

Digital health is a fast-growing emerging market with the potential to transform healthcare, improve efficiency in the NHS and grow the U.K.’s economy through innovative new businesses and products. However the use of digital health technologies is being slowed by challenges including the lack of a clear procurement route in the NHS, and difficulty in gaining access to clinicians and patients who can help shape products and explain needs and constraints at an early stage—for example to avoid replicating current technology or inadvertently creating costs further down the chain.

DigitalHealth.London will tackle these challenges and promote better health and economic growth by:

• Growing a network to build mutual understanding and relationships between industry, entrepreneurs, clinicians, patients and healthcare professionals
• Clearly defining the need from clinicians and patients to help shape the ideas and products being developed by companies
• Signposting clear routes to market for entrepreneurs
• Supporting the development of processes for NHS procurement and tariffs for digital health products
• Helping to build evidence for the health and economic benefits of digital health by promoting research

The new DigitalHealth.London Accelerator will work with 30 small digital health businesses each year over an initial three year period, providing support tailored to each company’s individual needs. The program will promote engagement with clinicians and healthcare experts, so that companies can refine their products to meet healthcare needs, and gain advice and support on some of the big healthcare hurdles they face—such as navigating the intricacies of the NHS, understanding how to work with sensitive data and accessing opportunities to showcase new technologies in hospitals.