The programme is open to all SMEs that can demonstrate innovative digital and patient solutions and have either an existing presence in the Yorkshire and Humber region or are willing to establish one.
It will provide a unique and tailored set of advisory, guidance and support services to enable global organisations to bring innovative digital health and patient solutions to the region’s population and the wider health economy.
Six organisations will be chosen to take part in a six-month programme of masterclasses, digital innovator surgeries and events focused on human-related design, clinical safety by design and understanding NHS procurement.
They will also have access to expert partners – including NHS providers and commissioners, academic institutions, primary and secondary care organisations - and receive expert mentorship and dedicated one-to-one support on topics including marketing, law and finance. In addition, patient representatives will be involved in helping the cohort to develop a patient-centred, co-designed approach to their work.
Meanwhile, a further six organisations will receive an associate support package, including access to selected courses and sessions.
The accelerator programme, which will be based in Leeds, has been commissioned by Yorkshire & Humber AHSN and will be delivered by mHabitat, an NHS-owned co-design specialist and expert in the application of digital to health and care.
Richard Stubbs, Chief Executive for the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN said: "I am delighted to announce that applications are now being accepted by Propel@YH for its inaugural accelerator programme. We’re looking forward to hearing from digital health innovators that would like to find out how our access tailored support, guidance and advice in navigating the NHS can benefit their businesses.
"The NHS Long Term Plan announced last week re-established the importance of using state-of-the-art technological advances to improve outcomes for patients and the need to speed up the digital innovation pipeline to help to sustain the NHS for the future.
"The Yorkshire and Humber region is a hotbed of digital innovation and an ideal place to start and grow a business; where entrepreneurial innovators are not only leading the way in digital healthcare technology, they're also generating economic growth and creating employment opportunities”.
Digital health innovators may apply for a place on Propel@YH via www.propel-yh.com until applications close on Thursday, 28 February.
About Propel@YH
The Yorkshire & Humber AHSN (Academic Health Science Network), in partnership with mHabitat, will start delivery of Propel@YH from January 2019.Propel@YH will become Yorkshire and Humber’s first regional digital health accelerator and will support organisations from across the world to bring their innovative digital health solutions to the region's patients and the wider health economy.
Propel@YH will provide a unique and tailored set of advisory, guidance and supportive services, enabling digital health solutions to flourish within the region.
Recognising that the sales cycle within healthcare can be challenging and often lengthy, Propel@YH will provide a structured programme of support and advice that will enable organisations to accelerate their growth and market presence in the longer term.
About Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network
Yorkshire & Humber AHSN is one of 15 AHSNs set up by NHS England in 2013 and relicensed from April 2018 to operate as the key innovation arm of the NHS.The aim of the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN is to create significant improvements in the health of the population by reducing service variability and improving patient experience in the health care system.
The Yorkshire & Humber AHSN helps ensure new innovative products and services that have the potential to transform lives become part of routine clinical practice. The organisation also assists in providing economic growth for the region, supporting inward investment projects and industry that support the health sector.
The Yorkshire & Humber AHSN is the commissioning organisation behind Propel@YH and has funded the programme.
About mHabitat
Hosted by Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, mHabitat supports people-centred digital innovation in health and social care. We have a social purpose — to develop digital technologies for good that address real world problems.At the core of everything we do, is co-design with patients, citizens and practitioners. mHabitat works with providers and commissioners of health and care services, third and public sector, digital innovators and health tech companies, academic organisations, and national bodies such as NHS England and NHS Digital. We help our partners collaborate and innovate for social good. We run digital innovation and inclusion projects, programmes and accelerators as well as advising on policy and strategy.
mHabitat has been commissioned by the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN to lead the delivery of the Propel@YH Digital Health Accelerator.