Charles McKinnon of IEG4, a recent Fellow of the NHS Innovation Accelerator, describes how his product delivers a digital service for transformation of continuing healthcare.
The NIA has supported the uptake and spread of 37 high-impact, evidence-based innovations at more than 1,700 NHS sites since it launched in July 2015.
Among the innovations that have recently joined the NIA are an app empowering people to monitor their skin for early signs of skin cancer, a model of care for testing populations to identify individuals at higher risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and a secure messaging service that puts young people directly in touch with healthcare professionals.
The NIA also periodically elects a number of Fellows, committed individuals who have driven healthcare innovations that benefit patients and staff. Among the latest intake of Fellows is Charles MacKinnon, a director at IEG4, a Cheshire company that has developed a software package that speeds up decision-making for continuing healthcare. Read the full story here.
He joins existing North West Coast Fellow Dave Burrows, chief executive of technology company Damibu, which developed an app that helps parents access NHS-approved information tailored to their child’s health.
Each of the new innovations joining the NIA offer solutions supporting priority areas for England’s NHS: mental health, primary care and early diagnosis and prevention of cancer. Their recruitment onto the NIA follows an international call and a robust selection process, including review by more than 100 clinical, patient and commercial assessors, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
In selecting Fellows, the NIA invites applications from exceptional individuals representing innovations which address a need or challenge faced by the NHS. To be appointed a Fellow, applicants need to demonstrate a set of values and passion for spreading their innovation to benefit more people across the country. Fellows come from a range of backgrounds, including clinical, industry and academia.
For more information about the NIA visit:
The NHS Long Term Plan puts the latest technology and innovation at the heart of people’s care and the future of our health service.
Right across the NHS patients are benefitting from world-beating innovations, spread as part of this programme, and now even more patients will be supported by new tools like the app which uses AI to help identify skin cancer, puts people in control of their care and enables them to get treatment as quickly as possible.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS Medical Director
