The UK’s leading digital health innovators are to get a global boost with a new campaign that showcases their talents to healthcare systems across the world. Major health tech bodies have come together to support ‘The First 100’, which features some of the UK’s most impressive digital health companies and aims to provides a well-researched credible list for international healthcare organisations and governments to call upon to get support for their needs.
Each of the 100 companies has a proven track record of benefiting the lives of healthcare professionals and patients in the NHS and private health sector. They include innovators who have underpinned the country’s response to COVID- 19, and others whose ground-breaking technology can address the issues facing healthcare systems across the globe.
The chosen companies went through a rigorous vetting process, which assessed the global uniqueness of their innovation, responsiveness, track record of collaboration, successes within the NHS, and their ability and commitment to export and actively seeking international expansion.
“The UK is at the forefront of transforming healthcare services by using digital solutions to prevent, diagnose, manage and treat illnesses more effectively, as well as putting solutions in the hands of patients.
“The First 100 articulates the exportable strengths that the UK has in health tech and showcases those that stand out for being tried and tested and most importantly, making a difference across one of the most complex health systems in the world, during its most challenging time. They’ve supported health and care professionals and patients in dealing with everyday issues and can undoubtedly benefit other countries looking to solve problems to everyday health and care challenges.” said Hassan Chaudhury, Digital Health Specialist, Healthcare UK, who is leading the campaign.
‘The First 100’
Organisations listed include, Foundry4, the company that remotely delivered the UK’s COVID-19 home testing service in just eight days, DrDoctor, a patient engagement platform provider which is used by over 30 NHS trusts and has supported at-scale healthcare staff vaccination programmes and IMMJ Systems which has provided digitised records via the cloud, to enable numerous NHS trusts to deliver virtual clinics during the pandemic.
Rachel Murphy, CEO of Foundry4 commented, “The past year has created a need to think differently, even radically, in the way we all approach healthcare – from creating patient facing services, workforce-based solutions, and using data in a more effective way. It’s incredibly powerful to be recognised for the contribution we’ve made to healthcare in doing just that.”
Vantage Health is another company included in the First 100 Digital Health Playbook. The company provides technology-driven solutions to the NHS as part of its mission to help transform the way healthcare is delivered. With a 12-year heritage, Vantage Health is delivering outpatient transformation using its tailored, AI-powered solution, Rego, which helps GPs and dentists direct patients to the best care option by automating pathways. The first eRS compatible solution to be deployed in the NHS, Rego provides automated GP referrals in one efficient system, which reduces the complexity of outpatient pathway guidance and eliminates manual triage processes.
“It’s an honour to be selected for the Department for International Trade’s First 100 Digital Health Playbook. With the current medical state of play and looming backlog in care, digital health is fast becoming a vital solution to the overwhelming challenges facing healthcare. At Vantage, we’ve seen first-hand during the pandemic how quickly digital systems can be implemented (for one of our systems, this was a little as 6 weeks) and, crucially, how this swift implementation has helped patients to continue to receive the appropriate care throughout Covid-19.” said David Ezra, Director at Vantage Health.
Such organisations are likely to be instrumental in helping healthcare providers across the world, deal with the looming backlog in care. They can also provide the foundation for the digitised healthcare future where remote monitoring, patient apps, AI and augmented reality become the norm.
The campaign is backed by Healthcare UK, European Connected Health Alliance (ECHA), Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI), Scottish Development International, Innovate UK, HIMSS and Silver Buck.