This week 17 top healthcare innovators celebrated success following a year of support from the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA); which aims to improve patients’ lives through fast tracking cutting-edge, low cost innovations to the forefront of the NHS.

During the first year of the programme the 17 NIA Fellows have taken their innovations – ranging from apps, IT platforms, devices and models of care – to an additional 345 NHS providers and commissioners, securing almost £9m in funding and scooping 12 awards along the way.

At the NIA Summit on 6 July the Fellows presented their innovations to an audience of patients, clinicians, industry colleagues and policy makers.  Awards were presented to Fellows for the best progress, best participant, best peer and best pitch.  The winners were:

• Matt Jameson Evans, Health Unlocked and Anna Moore, i-Thrive for best all round progress in scaling their innovation measured in terms of uptake, population impact, evidence base and engagement of influential champions
• Piers Kotting, Join Dementia Research for best peer, providing exemplary support to his NIA colleagues during the year
• Maryanne Mariyaselvam, Non injectable arterial connector, for best participant who has most fully participated in the NIA during their first year.
• Piers Kotting, Join Dementia Research, for delivering the most succinct, articulate and compelling presentation at the Summit.

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England’s Medical Director, who hosted the Summit said: “The progress we have seen in accelerating innovations over the last 12 months is something the NHS should be really proud of. I want to thank all those who have helped make the NIA so successful – including the mentors, colleagues at NHS England, the Academic Health Science Networks, the Health Foundation, and the many other individuals and organisations who have supported the programme.”

Now in its second year, the NIA has launched a global search for a further eight innovators to be supported to spread their innovations further and faster across the NHS.  NIA 2016 is seeking innovators with new products, services, solutions or new ways of delivering care that address: disease prevention, early detection and long-term conditions.

Run by NHS England, UCLPartners and the country’s Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), the NHS Innovation Accelerator has enabled clinicians to deliver care more efficiently and has empowered patients to combat, manage and understand their own illnesses better.

NHS Innovation Accelerator Programme Co-founder Dr Mahiben Maruthappu said:  “The NHS Innovation Accelerator has seen record success, with millions of patients now having access to these innovations. This is just the beginning, with a national tariff round the corner that will boost innovation across the service.”

Professor Sir David Fish, Managing Director of UCLPartners said: “The success achieved in the first year of the NHS Innovation Accelerator should inspire healthcare providers, commissioners and innovators to work together to solve current challenges for patient and population benefit.”

• Find out more and apply to the NHS Innovation Accelerator 2016.
• Join one of the weekly webinars or attend an information session.