Introduction

Welcome to the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London’s 24/25 Annual Report.
Watch our introductory video to hear from our Chief Executive Dr Rishi Das-Gupta, Chair Professor Andrew George and a couple of our collaborators from projects this year.
Continue reading to explore the range of projects we’ve worked on over the past year.

Strategic Priority 1

Accessing innovations

Ensuring south London benefits from national innovation priorities which address health inequalities.

The Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London connects national innovation priorities with local needs to help reduce health inequalities across southLondon. By aligning with NHS England programmes and working closely with integrated care systems, we help ensure that people and communities most in need benefit from targeted innovation. Our role includes translating national priorities into meaningful regional action and clearly communicating these across the system.

We also bring together stakeholders to support implementation, scale, and sustainability. Whether it's cardiovascular disease, cancer, or long-term conditions, we focus on embedding innovation where it can make the biggest difference. Through this work, we aim to tackle the systemic causes of health inequality while building stronger links between national ambitions and local delivery.

National cardiovascular disease programmes

Our cardiovascular disease prevention team have provided support to a number of different areas this year.

Hypertension

In south east London, only 64.9% of people with diagnosed hypertension have achieved appropriate blood pressure control. If this were raised to the national target of 80%, it could prevent an estimated 539 heart attacks and strokes, and 173 deaths.

We collaborated with Mabadiliko CIC, Clinical Effectiveness South East London (CESEL), King’s Health Partners and the South London Cardiac Operational Delivery Network to develop a Community Blood Pressure Screening Tool. The resource was co-produced through a task and finish group made up of nine Lewisham PCN colleagues, representatives from three community-based organisations, and six local residents. It trains healthcare professionals and community leaders to conduct blood pressure testing, educate on self-management, and strengthen partnerships between community organisations and primary care.  Deployment of the tool is currently underway.

Atrial Fibrillation

In south east London, 74% of the expected number of people with atrial fibrillation have been detected. Increasing detection to the national target of 90% and ensuring appropriate anticoagulation could prevent around 193 strokes and 48 deaths.

South East London Integrated Care Board (SEL ICB) and the HIN and are delivering a programme to support a “Detect, Protect, Perfect “ approach to Atrial Fibrillation (AF). The programme has provided AF detection devices in a range of settings in south east London:

  • 247 devices distributed across SEL;
  • 34 out of SEL’s 36 Primary Care Networks involved;
  • 11 non-GP practice sites, including community and outreach services

The project evaluation report is due in 2025.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Only half of the expected population with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in south east London have been diagnosed and optimised on treatment. Improving this to 80% could prevent 135 cases of end-stage renal failure.

The HIN, in partnership with SEL ICB, King’s College London and CESEL, is piloting an innovative chronic kidney disease (CKD) management model. Utilising point of care testing, it enables rapid medical optimisation and improved access to treatments such as sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors that slow CKD progression and can avoid the need for dialysis. Nurse and pharmacist-led clinics now operate across five boroughs, and we will continue to support this work and its evaluation next year. Seven clinics (six in primary care, one in community pharmacy) are operating across four boroughs and have supported over 160 patients to date.

Lipids

In south east London, only 79.3% of people with CVD are treated with lipid-lowering therapies, below the national target of 95%. Improving treatment rates could prevent 444 heart attacks and 53 deaths.

Three community lipid hubs in south east London were trialled using the Vital 5 approach to assess patients in their initial appointment for lifestyle risk factors. In Bexley, 78 patients were seen at the pilot clinic and early estimates suggest that, if lipid management is optimised for all patients seen, approximately eight cardiovascular events could be prevented over the next five years. It is also predicted that the project will deliver an estimated £80,000 in NHS cost savings, based on UCL Partners’ modelling.

In addition to this, we also supported the work of three specialist CVD pharmacists from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust through a Novartis Collaborative Working Agreement.  The hubs have achieved:

  • A waiting list reduction of eight months at the University Hospital Lewisham.
  • A business-as-usual substantive role being created at St George’s University Hospital.

The South London Care Home Pioneer Programme

We welcomed our sixth cohort of the programme this year, which is delivered in partnership with My Home Life England.

This initiative is aimed at improving leadership skills and promoting the professional development of senior care home staff from across south London. Through face-to-face workshops and action learning, the ten-month programme enabled 20 Pioneers to advance their skills, facilitate personal growth and to effectively manage complex issues that impact the quality of their services. Each Pioneer participates in a series of Quality Improvement (QI) workshops, which culminate in the design and delivery of a QI project within their care setting.

The programme has helped me develop as a manager by reinforcing the importance of continuous improvement and reflective practices.”

Care Home Pioneer 2024-25

The Pioneer Programme helped me develop as a leader by enhancing my communication and collaboration skills with my team, residents and their families.”

Care Home Pioneer 2024-25

For this cohort, Pioneers were asked to choose a subject area that fell within the Enhanced health in care homes framework. Pioneer projects included falls prevention, end-of-life care, and improving hydration. Many of the projects implemented sustainable changes that the Pioneers intend to continue, including improving access to end-of-life care training to increase staff confidence and introducing new ways of encouraging resident hydration to improve health outcomes. For example, one project was able to increase fluid consumption by over 20% in two thirds of residents identified as being at high risk of dehydration.

At the March 2025 celebration day which was attended by guests and the Care Home Pioneer Alumni, Pioneers fed back how the programme has helped them build leadership skills as well as their own resilience and confidence. The programme has supported more than 150 Pioneers from all 12 boroughs of south London since it began in 2018.

The MedTech Funding Mandate and Pulmonary Rehabilitation

We have been instrumental in advancing healthcare innovations that address health inequalities. Two key initiatives include the implementation of the MedTech Funding Mandate (MTFM) and the enhancement of Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) services.

MedTech Funding Mandate

The MTFM accelerates the adoption of NICE-approved technologies that are cost-saving, clinically effective, and financially viable for the NHS. This year we have supported the implementation of eight MTFM products, including digital chest drains, orthotics, and treatments for benign prostate hyperplasia.

Six products have now been successfully embedded across London, while ongoing support continues for Apos Health (a knee osteoarthritis orthotic device) and Spectra Optia (a red cell exchange system for sickle cell disease which removes sickle-shaped red blood cells and replaces them with healthy ones).  Patients in south London now have access to a wider range of procedure options to treat benign prostate hyperplasia, are able to use more mobile chest drains, and can benefit from a multi-dilation system to treat chronic sinusitis.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) is a structured programme for individuals with lung disease who experience breathlessness. Commissioned by the London Respiratory Clinical Network (LRCN), we are supporting workforce development, clinical standardisation, and patient experience improvements across London.

  • PR competency framework implementation resources:
    We co-produced a suite of implementation resources and training modules to address London PR service gaps. These training modules provide accessible, engaging syntheses of highly complex technical standards for PR, translating hundreds of pages of academic and medical literature into actionable training resources which are designed to be used by junior PR practitioners. A London-wide PR training day was also delivered to 30 healthcare professionals.
  • PR patient information: 
    We also audited PR education materials to assess provision for patients with conditions beyond Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Engaging 27 of London’s 29 PR services and interviewing eight patients, a recommendations report will support the development of a consistent, high-quality patient education offer.
Watch the video: Pulmonary Rehabilitation Training: 6 Minute Walk Test

Maternity and Neonatal Network

The past year has been a success for the Preterm Perinatal Optimisation Programme, reflecting the incredible dedication of all the partners in this network. Maternity and neonatal teams in all seven supported Trusts, South East and South West London ICBs and the London Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (ODN) have collaborated to improve outcomes for preterm babies.

As of March 2025, south London has the second-lowest mortality rate in England for babies born between 24-31 weeks, at 3.5%. This is a significant reduction from 6.3% in early 2023 and compared to the current national average of 6%. Additionally, more babies are receiving all the key elements of the care bundle we support.

The pan-London celebration event held in April 2025, provided an opportunity to highlight the remarkable progress of our teams, share learning and continue our plans for the coming year.

Martha’s Rule

In 2024, the NHS committed to implementing Martha’s Rule, a safety initiative which includes patients in their care in a purposeful way to help prevent deterioration related harm.

Across England, 143 sites signed up to pilot Martha’s Rule - we supported 14 sites in seven south London Trusts. This includes the implementation of all three components of Martha’s Rule, including daily records of a patient’s feedback on their wellbeing, and the escalation process.

This structured approach to involving patients in care decisions related to physical deterioration is a very significant culture shift. The HIN has supported this work in south London by:

  • Creating space where teams from the 14 pilot sites can network with their peers to problem solve, share resources, and learn from each other.
  • Helping teams adapt national guidance and information for their local context.
  • Connecting existing networks of clinicians to further coordinate in response to this innovation in care.
  • Support digital solutions by connecting innovators to the teams introducing Martha’s Rule.

OneLondon Health Data Programme

The OneLondon Health Data programme aims to securely connect health and care data in partnership with NHS England London and London’s five ICSs to improve outcomes for everyone in the capital. The HIN provides specific support to the communications and public involvement aspects.

Over the past year, we have collaborated with the London wide Local Medical Committee to develop a comprehensive set of responses to frequently asked questions and supporting resources for data controllers, including a new microsite, explainer videos, and guides. In October 2024, we also hosted our first joint workshop with National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR)colleagues to strengthen engagement with researchers and academics. This featured speakers including Andrew Morris, Director of Health Data Research (HDR) UK and Alice Mortlock who is the Head of Research Capacity and Growth at the Department of Health and Social Care (DSHC).

Public involvement remains at the heart of One London’s work. In May and November 2024, we supported two public deliberation events in London as part of NHS England’s Research and Data national engagement strategy and have continued to actively engage our Citizen Advisory Group (CAG) through newsletters, surveys, and focus groups — the latest of which were completed in January and February 2025.

NIHR Research Delivery Network: Careers campaign

In 2024, the HIN was commissioned by the NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) South London to launch a targeted careers campaign to address the ongoing challenge of attracting students and early careers professionals into research roles. The campaign placed particular emphasis on increasing representation from the global majority, who remain significantly underrepresented in the research workforce, despite their vital contributions to health and care services.

Building on insight-led messaging and digital-first outreach, the campaign has generated over 550,000 impressions across Google AdWords, YouTube, and Meta platforms. Campaign videos achieved more than 77,000 views, ranking among the most watched on the NIHR’s YouTube channel.

A bespoke “matchmaking” service has supported students and early-careers professionals with finding out more information on placements and shadowing opportunities within NHS Trusts. Additionally, the campaign has driven 2,900 users to the dedicated landing page, with over 150 users clicking through to NHS Jobs.

By promoting opportunities such as the NIHR INSIGHT scholarship programme, which offers up to 60 funded places annually, the campaign aims to support a sustainable and diverse research workforce in south London, fostering career progression and contributing to equitable healthcare innovation.

The Health Tech and South London Digital Innovation Conference

On 20 June 2024, the HIN partnered with DigitalHealth.London, South East London ICB and South West London ICB to deliver the Health Tech and South London Digital Innovation Conference.

Held at London South Bank University, the event brought together over 200 healthcare professionals, technology experts, and innovators. The conference showcased 19 sessions, including keynotes, panel discussions, and breakout sessions, with insights from 58 leading voices in healthcare and technology delving into critical topics such as digital transformation, patient-centred care, and the integration of new technologies into existing healthcare frameworks.

16 innovators supported by the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme showcased their real-world solutions designed to enhance patient care and operational efficiency. The event fostered meaningful connections between colleagues from health and care organisations, academia and digital health companies helping to position south London’s ICSs at the forefront of adopting technologies that align with national priorities. By convening system leaders and innovators, theHIN continues to ensure that south London benefits from national initiatives aimed at reducing health inequalities. 

200+
of participants reported patient benefits
19
sessions
58
speakers
4
Hosted in partnership with 4 major organisations 

Innovator Support: Suvera

The national target for hypertension treatment is 77%. Historically, Lewisham has achieved 55.12%, placing it amongst the lowest performing boroughs in South East London. The borough is also amongst the 15% most deprived local authorities in the UK.

Suvera’s virtual care model was selected by a panel from across NHS South East London ICS to support two Primary Care Networks - Modality Lewisham Primary Care Network and The Lewisham Care Partnership. Our Innovator Support team identified Suvera, an NHS Innovation Accelerator company, for the Planned Care, Long Term Conditions and Cancer commissioners at SEL ICB.

The six-month pilot began in February 2024 and saw patients submit blood pressure readings via Suvera’s app. Patients were also reviewed and managed by Suvera’s experienced team of clinical pharmacists.

  • 75% of those invited to take part in the pilot were patients from the global majority. ~75% of those invited were part of the Core20PLUS5 population, a target group identified by NHS England to reduce healthcare inequalities at both national and system level.
  • 4,035 patients engaged with the service, with an 80.8% engagement rate from Core20PLUS5 patients
  • 16,000 blood pressure submissions: patients are encouraged to submit ongoing entries, allowing clinicians to have an accurate overview of their health.
  • 1,000 lifestyle questionnaires

Outcomes

  • 1,987 patients were managed to target;
  • 52% moved from stage 3 to a lower-risk level, preventing possible CVD events;
  • 7,500 appointments saved across the two PCNs, including care co-coordinator and prescribing pharmacist appointments;
  • £135,000 non-cash releasing saving (an estimated cost of £18* per appointment) by providing additional capacity for staff.

Strategic Priority 2

Improving outcomes

Delivering health and care change programmes with a focus on long-term conditions and mental health to improve health outcomes.

The HIN supports partners across south London to improve outcomes for people living with long-term conditions and serious mental illness. By identifying local needs and building on national best practice, we co-design programmes that address the realities of frontline care.

Our work includes both adoption of established interventions and support for new approaches, always with a focus on reducing health inequalities. We aim to improve access, diagnosis, treatment, and support for people in ways that are practical and scalable. Through system-wide collaboration and continuous learning, we help ensure change programmes lead to sustained improvements in health and care.

2024 Cardiometabolic Fellowship

We ran our third cohort of the Cardiometabolic Fellowship from April to November 2024, engaging 55 clinicians from across the region. This initiative equips primary care and community pharmacy professionals with the skills and knowledge to improve patient outcomes and drive quality improvement (QI) within their practices and Primary Care Networks.

The Fellowship included an in-person QI training day, online peer support sessions, and clinical webinars covering lipid management, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and mental health. A final celebration event in November showcased the impact of Fellows’ projects.

Throughout the programme, 33 Fellows completed QI projects, collectively reviewing 1,282 patient notes and conducting 848 patient consultations. Less than 2% of patients required referrals to secondary care, suggesting that with enhanced training, support, and possibly specialist collaboration, the cohort of primary care physicians were able to manage 98% of patients with complex cardio metabolic and mental health needs without hospital referral.

With nearly 200 professionals supported since 2022, an alumni network has been established to foster continued learning and collaboration across south London.

Findings from the 2024 QI projects:

  • High-quality data was key to identifying risk and planning care effectively. The project highlighted the importance of consistent coding and complete records in enabling proactive support.
  • Targeted searches and regular reviews helped practices monitor and manage conditions such as atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, lipids and hypertension more effectively.
  • A blended approach to patient engagement, including phone calls and text reminders, proved most successful in increasing uptake of physical health checks.
  • Collaborative working across clinical and non-clinical teams – including healthcare assistants, pharmacists and administrative staff – supported delivery and helped embed improvements.
  • Where delivery was more challenging, this reinforced the need for protected time, staffing and technical support to sustain quality improvement in primary care.

Feedback from the 2024 cohort was overwhelmingly positive:

100%
of participants reported patient benefits;
88%
said the content improved their understanding of QI;
100%
of participants felt more confident in leading projects.

Reducing inequalities in physical health care for people with serious mental illness by increasing the uptake of physical health checks

People living with serious mental illness (SMI) in England continue to face significant health inequalities, with life expectancy up to 20 years shorter than that of the general population. Much of this disparity is attributable to preventable physical health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and respiratory illness. Premature mortality rates of people with SMI are widening and it is estimated that two thirds of deaths are from preventable physical illnesses.

Funded by South East London Integrated Care Board, this project sought to reduce health inequalities by increasing access to and uptake of physical health checks for people with SMI. Targeted support was provided to GP practices across all six south east London boroughs where uptake was lowest. The work comprised three key strands:

Nurse-led activities

To enable direct clinical input, data governance agreements were established to support nurse-led outreach. The HIN facilitated introductions to GP practices and supported the Oxleas Agile Intervention team and the South London and Maudsley Health Check Liaison team with logistics to allow them to provide support with physical health checks to people with SMI in primary care settings. The Oxleas team completed data validation of over 2,400 SMI registered patient records and completed ~446 full or partial physical health checks.

Voluntary sector engagement

Recognising the value of community insight, the project engaged local voluntary sector partners. Mind in Bexley co-produced training and resources to equip healthcare professionals with a better understanding of the barriers faced by individuals with SMI. South East London Mind developed resources to improve participation in physical health checks and ran 12 training sessions for both healthcare and community groups, reaching 118 attendees in total.

Horizon scan

To inform future approaches, the project team conducted a rapid horizon scan of digital interventions supporting physical health in people with SMI. Twelve tools were identified, covering domains such as smoking cessation, physical activity and nutrition. Additionally, HIN supported the South East London Data and Analytics Programme in convening a stakeholder workshop to review the One London Mental Health Dashboard, gathering feedback to improve its utility in supporting physical health monitoring.

Cancer and serious mental illness

Funded by the  South East London Cancer Alliance (SELCA), we worked in partnership with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust , SELCA and people with lived experience of both cancer and serious mental illness (SMI), to produce a cancer eLearning resource for people with SMI  to address the evidence that people with SMI often find it more difficult to get the support they need when it comes to cancer.

This eLearning resource has been designed to improve understanding and access to cancer support. It provides information and advice on reducing risks of cancer, navigating the cancer system and making sure people get the best possible treatment and support for both their mental and physical health. Each module has been designed by people with lived experience of SMI and cancer, alongside clinical experts.

In the first six months since launch, the eLearning resource has been viewed more than 1,300 times which accounts for 11% of all views on the SELCA website. The module on psychological support during and after cancer treatment has the longest engagement time and more repeat users.

Increasing awareness and adoption of the Universal Care Plan in London’s care homes

The Universal Care Plan (UCP) is a digital tool for recording and sharing a person’s care wishes, which can be viewed by all the health professionals involved in their care. While the use of UCPs has grown overall across London, adoption in social care has been slower.

Partnering with the London UCP team, we engaged stakeholders and care home staff across London’s five Integrated Care Systems to identify barriers and enablers to UCP use. Staff shared the value of the UCP in respecting residents’ wishes, particularly at end-of-life, supporting preferred place of care, reducing unnecessary hospital admissions and ambulance use, and improving staff confidence.

We designed the following freely available resources to support care home staff and stakeholders in UCP awareness and adoption:

  • An in-depth care home “how-to” guide;
  • Awareness-raising posters;
  • Benefit statements for care home staff, residents, and families;
  • Testimonials from care homes using UCP;
  • Information leaflets for care home residents and their families;
  • A promotional video featuring care home staff and health professionals;
  • A system stakeholder guidance document to help the health and care system to support care homes to use the UCP.

We were pleased to see the data from the UCP Web Portal showed a significant increase in the number of times UCPs were accessed by care homes since the project started in the autumn and resources were launched in January. Whilst this could have been impacted by other factors, the UCP team are confident the trend can be at least partly attributed to the HIN’s work and are very pleased with the progress.

68

We held 68 engagement meetings reaching 276 people from across London.

1000

Our resources were digitally shared with over 1,000 care home staff and system stakeholders.

3000

We provided over 3,000 hard copies to care home staff and stakeholders.

520

Our resources were viewed 520 times in the first month post-launch.

As of March 2025, care homes in London had accessed the UCP 707 times to support their residents. This marks a significant increase compared to the same period in March 2024, when the UCP had only been accessed 247 times.

ICBs are continuing to provide support to ensure further homes can access these documents.

Regional innovation in hydration events

The South West London Integrated Care Board (SWL ICB) has been the regional lead for London and one of the seven national NHS England Hydration project sites. We were commissioned to support SWL ICB with designing and delivering a number of events aimed at enhancing people’s knowledge and understanding of hydration, whilst raising the profile of good hydration health, both regionally and nationally. Working closely with the Regional Hydration Project Manager for London, we have collaboratively delivered one webinar and two in-person events.

Improving hydration for people living in care homes webinar, September 2024

  • Aimed at care home staff with over 600 attendees.
  • Focused on improving the understanding of the impact of hydration on health and disease with talks ranging from acute kidney injury and fluid balance, drinking well for health, hydration and urology, and the link between hydration and skin integrity.

Hydration Health Summit, November 2024

  • Aimed at any health and social care staff from primary care, secondary care and community and residential settings.
  • Attendees heard from internationally renowned experts on the importance and challenges of maintaining health and wellbeing through good hydration, and several innovations that were being tested across England.
  • The event had over 200 attendees with representation from across the UK.

Hydration Summit for Managers, March 2025

  • Aimed at all care settings that participated in the London #ButFirstADrink pilot with over 80 attendees.
  • Attendees heard from a range of experts about how to meet the CQC standards related to hydration, how to prevent dehydration in older adults, safeguarding adults, the impact of dehydration on frailty, guidelines for the prevention of UTIs and other important topics.
"Since the Hydration Summit, we have assessed our clients' fluid intake across all nine care homes. We have applied insights from the summit to create engaging activity events, encouraging clients who typically struggle with hydration to drink more. Introducing flavoured options instead of plain water has also benefited some clients. Additionally, we have updated the way we record fluid intake in daily reports. A staff meeting is scheduled for January 25 to discuss key takeaways from the seminar, review the changes we have implemented, and evaluate their impact on our organisation."

Care Home Colleague

South East London Cancer Alliance:
Innovation partnership

In 2024/25, we continued our longstanding partnership with the South East London Cancer Alliance (SELCA), helping patients benefit from the latest advances in cancer diagnostics and treatment.

Key activities over the past year include:

  • Conducting an innovation workshop to prioritise and select existing SEL automation suppliers to pilot Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) pathway automation in primary care. The automation will increase speed of early diagnosis and reduce primary care burden through automating manual tasks. A pilot project is underway, rolling out automation in over 15 GP sites.
  • Horizon scanning for innovations related to the increasing diagnostic accuracy and care planning in colorectal cancer pathway, the second-largest cause of cancer deaths in the UK.
  • Creating patient and professional materials to promote understanding of navigational bronchoscopy, an innovative new procedure which can save months in the lung cancer diagnosis process.
  • Conducting a market review for Robotic Process Automation, finding potential solutions to reduce administrative workload and speed up diagnosis and treatment pathways.

Testing enablers to support the implementation of Lumi Nova in partnership with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust approached us for support in embedding Lumi Nova: Tales of Courage, a child-led, parent-supported Cognitive Behavioural Therapy therapeutic intervention app, within its Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) pathway. The aim was to explore staff and family attitudes toward digital interventions and assess the requirements for making Lumi Nova a business-as-usual option.

Through engagement with clinicians and families, we identified key factors influencing the adoption of Lumi Nova, including practitioner knowledge and confidence, training, clinical pathway integration, perceptions of digital interventions, safety concerns, and the comparative value of digital versus face-to-face therapy. These insights will inform strategies to increase uptake and ensure Lumi Nova is effectively embedded within CAMHS services.

      Five key recommendations were provided to Oxleas NHS Trust:

      1

      Embed Lumi Nova into the clinical pathway.

      2

      Provide adequate and appropriate resources for professional development in digital therapeutics.

      3

      Support practitioners in critiquing and reflecting on clinical judgements through supervision and peer support.

      4

      Equip practitioners with accessible resources to confidently recommend and use Lumi Nova with families.

      5

      Establish regular communication about Lumi Nova within the trust, teams, and with families.

      “Some of the Lumi Nova specific learnings fromthis report have already led to iterations and improvements on the access andservice model, and we look forward to doing whatever we can to support Oxleas, and the NHS more widely, to implement the recommendations from this report.”

      Kelly Tham, Head of Business Development &Delivery, BFB Labs

      “It's a great report and highly valuable to us.”

      Lauren Cane, Associate Director, CAMHS Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

      Dementia Health Tech Horizon Scans

      In Autumn 2024, we were commissioned by the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Brain Health, to conduct a series of dementia health tech horizon scans. The first scan was published in February 2025 and explored technologies in dementia diagnosis.

      Dementia remains the leading cause of death in the UK for the second year in a row. Early diagnosis is more crucial than ever, not only for improving patient and carer quality of life but also for reducing NHS pressures, where up to 25% of hospital beds are occupied by people with dementia.

      Despite challenges such as the cost of MRI screening and AI ethics, new collaborations between innovators, clinicians, and policymakers could accelerate the adoption of digital diagnostics. Two more scans will be delivered in 2025, focusing on better care and new treatments.

      The horizon scan identified 43 companies working in dementia health tech. Key findings were that: 

      31%
      focus on imaging and cognitive assessments, making these the most common innovation areas.
      71%
      of imaging solutions use MRI scan analysis.
      60%
      of companies use AI to enhance diagnostic accuracy and predictive modelling.
      71%
      of innovations are still in early stages, with no CE/UKCA or ISO compliance yet.

      Hybrid Closed Loop Workforce Demand and Capacity Modelling Tool

      Hybrid Closed Loop technology is transforming the management of type 1 diabetes, automating insulin delivery through a combination of a continuous glucose monitor and an insulin pump. By reducing the need for multiple daily injections and frequent blood glucose testing, Hybrid Closed Loop technology significantly improves patient experience and outcomes.

      Despite its benefits, access to Hybrid Closed Loop in NHS adult diabetes services remains inconsistent. In December 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a technology appraisal (TA943), expanding eligibility for its use. While NHS England provided phased implementation guidance over five years, the impact on clinical pathways and workforce planning remained unclear.

      In response, in collaboration with King’s Health Partners and south east London Trusts, we developed a demand and capacity model to support workforce planning and standardise the implementation of TA943. The model projects demand for clinics, patient education, workforce, and device requirements, including transitions from paediatric to adult care and device upgrades.

      Configured with local data, the model enables Trusts and ICBs to assess future capacity needs and financial planning, ensuring the smooth integration of Hybrid Closed Loop technology into services. This strategic approach supports a consistent and equitable rollout of life-changing technology for people with type 1 diabetes.

          Strategic Priority 3

          Supporting innovators

          Supporting innovators and the workforce in the health and care system to achieve faster adoption of innovations and drive economic growth – with a focus on digitally-enabled business models.

          By supporting the development and adoption of digital health solutions, we aim to accelerate progress and improve care for patients. At the same time, we work to grow the innovation economy by supporting job creation and enabling local businesses to scale.

          This includes signposting innovators to the right opportunities and connecting them with the NHS at the right time. We also provide dedicated support for underrepresented founders and early-stage ideas, helping to ensure a diverse and sustainable innovation pipeline that reflects the communities we serve.

          Supporting innovators through DigitalHealth.London’s Accelerator and Launchpad programmes

          The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator continues to drive innovation in the NHS and social care by fast-tracking the adoption of digital solutions. Now in its eighth cohort, the highly competitive 12-month programme supports digital health companies with products addressing critical healthcare challenges.

          Following a rigorous selection process, 17 companies were chosen from 117 applications to receive tailored guidance, expert-led workshops, networking opportunities and support from dedicated NHS Navigators who facilitate strategic connections. Since its launch in 2016, the Accelerator has supported over 180 companies, significantly impacting the health and social care ecosystem, and economic growth.  Companies on cohort 8 of the Accelerator created 43 new jobs and 3 are working to take their innovations to new markets.

          Complementing the Accelerator, the DigitalHealth.London Launchpad helps early-stage companies prepare to introduce new digital health solutions to the market. Providing 12 hours of expert-led support, including workshops and one-to-one mentoring, the programme has successfully completed seven cohorts, consistently achieving a "good" Net Promoter Score.

          In 2024/25, cohort seven of the Launchpad selected 12 companies from 42 applicants. All of these companies launched their products in January and February 2025, marking another milestone in the programme’s success by supporting their development and growth.

          DigitalHealth.London Accelerator alumni

          As companies graduate from the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme, they join our alumni community.  Since 2016, we have built up a group of over 160 companies who have continued to scale their innovations and impact.

          This year, we have provided support to a subset of companies and showcased their work through case studies and blogs. This support includes one-to-one company-senior support meetings to identify areas of challenge and barriers that we can help address. Companies are also invited to join our Accelerator Networking Days to share their experience and knowledge with our cohort and connect with stakeholders.

          Some notable scaling successes include FibriCheck and Patients Know Best (cohort 5) who have partnered to deliver Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Virtual Wards in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, enabling the remote management of patients with chronic conditions.

          We have also seen strong commercial growth in companies such as Patchwork Health (cohort 4). In 2024 they acquired L2P, a leading medical appraisal software provider, enabling them to extend their existing network to support over 100,000 clinicians across more than 200 NHS and private healthcare organisations. This has allowed them to create a market-leading healthcare platform, offering a truly end-to-end suite of tools to meet workforce needs.

          The Mindset Programme

          Innovate UK’s £20 million Mindset programme is helping to catalyse the growth of immersive digital mental health solutions in the UK.

          The Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London successfully won the opportunity to lead the delivery of Innovate UK’s Mindset-XR Innovation Support Programme, which includes offering support to the winners of each round to develop their innovation toward market readiness and grow the immersive tech for mental health ecosystem.

          We do this through a programme of bespoke one-to-one support, series of education tools, development of a network and community of those working with immersive tech in mental health, and facilitating conversations aimed at advancing the immersive tech for mental health sector as a whole.

          With Innovate UK and our UK-wide network of partners, we aim to facilitate the broader adoption of immersive digital mental health therapeutics alongside traditional approaches to care.

          We are currently providing support to innovators from Rounds 1 and 2 of the programme, assisting them through feasibility testing and the journey toward commercialisation.

          In 2024, 283 people attended our UK wide roadshow of events, and over 250 people attended our nine ‘hot topic’ webinars. 1,300 people have viewed our eLearning on regulation, clinical research and patient involvement. Our LinkedIn group is active and growing with hundreds of members.

          Feedback has been positive from innovators on the programme, who report over 16 jobs created since the programme started, around half a million pounds in follow-on funding, and around 30 pilots or contracts started.

          “With the help of the Mindset-XR Innovation Support Programme, we’ve been able to take our project from an initial concept right through to a Minimum Viable Product.”

          Daithi Conlon, Life Process Program

          “It has been great to work with the HIN and get their support with bringing opportunities of the Mindset Programme to Wales. They’ve helped with driving innovation in the implementation of XR to support mental wellness.”

          Naomi Joyce, Head of Partnerships, Life Sciences Hub Wales

          Daithi Conlon, Founder, Life Process Program and Jane Guest, Innovation Lead for the Mindset Programme, Innovate UK

          Dr Sarah Campbell, CEO, Play Well For Life

          30

          innovators on the programme with either tested or secured pilot projects across healthcare or educational settings

          3

          innovators on the programme have products that are MHRA Class I certified, and several others are working toward Class I or Class II certification

          16+

          jobs created in the year

          £430000

          Innovators on the programme have received over £430,000 follow-on funding from sources such as Alzheimer's Research UK and SBRI

          26

          innovators connected to business coaches for bespoke support

          283

          total attendees of the Mindset Roadshow events

          1293

          online views of the eLearning modules

          80+

          potential collaborator groups received presentations about Mindset-XR projects

          3

          well-supported roundtable discussions on investment, clinical priorities and regulation

          9

          webinars hosted

          189

          members of the LinkedIn community group

          24000

          Over 24,000 total opens of the monthly Mindset external newsletter

          Accelerating FemTech

          The 2024/25 Accelerating FemTech programme built on the success of the inaugural cohort, as the only Innovate UK-funded Accelerator (in collaboration the Medical Research Council) to be recommissioned.  Ten companies in the first cohort were awarded Biomedical Catalyst funding, totalling £1million.

          The specialised programme, which is delivered in collaboration with partners from across the UK, is dedicated to advancing women’s health innovations. It supports early-stage companies, university spinouts and entrepreneurial-minded academics to gain commercial and funding momentum.

          Participants received bespoke support, targeted workshops and mentoring to enhance product development, entrepreneurship skills and stakeholder engagement. The programme also supports the cohort to prepare for a special closed-call feasibility funding opportunity through Innovate UK’s Biomedical Catalyst.

          The programme received 122 applications, a 42% increase from the first cohort. After a rigorous selection process, 21 solutions were chosen. They aim to address a wide range of women’s health needs, from AI-driven menopause support systems to hormone monitoring devices, at-home cervical screening kits and revolutionary maternity training platforms.

          Accelerating FemTech continues to play a critical role, bringing together clinical, academic and innovation teams to strengthen the FemTech sector to ultimately drive better health outcomes for women. This year’s programme supported 71% majority female, 10% majority disabled and 33% global majority owned companies.

          Supporting the healthcare workforce

          The South West London (SWL) ICS Digital Pioneer Fellowship and the CW+ Horizon Fellowship empowers NHS, social care and voluntary community and social enterprise (VCSE) staff over 12 months, supporting them in the design and implementation of impactful digital health projects.

          Fellows participate in workshops, gain access to resources, and receive expert mentorship from healthcare and business leaders. Six face-to-face learning days are also held, covering topics such as design thinking, user-centred engagement, business case development and change management.

          Since 2018, DigitalHealth.London’s Digital Pioneer Fellowship have supported 211 individuals from 57 organisations, with projects directly contributing to improved patient care or experience:

          • One project reduced cases of suboptimal care caused by failure to recognise and escalate deteriorating patients by 50%, directly preventing unplanned ICU admissions.
          • In another project, the use of an AI-enabled, voice-based clinical assistant in ophthalmology reduced the rate of post-operative management changes to just 2.5%, well below the target of 10%.

          Feedback from cohort 6 of the Horizon Fellowship (June 2024) showed a Net Promoter Score of 100, with 87.5% of Fellows reporting a positive impact on project development and adoption.

          For 2024/25, a total of 57 fellows are driving digital innovation through these programmes, ensuring continued digital transformation across the healthcare system.

          Quotes from Cohort 1 of the South West London ICS Digital Pioneer Fellowship: 

          “The Fellowship enabled space to problem solve challenges along the way.”
          “Having expert mentoring has and will continue to be pivotal to keeping focused on delivery.”
          “Excellent teaching of data, which is a hard subject area, made it enjoyable and interactive.”
          “The strategic influencing session guided me in terms of theory, method and approach.”

          Leap

          The DigitalHealth.London Leap programme is a nine-month initiative dedicated to fostering inclusivity and supporting founders from underrepresented communities in driving digital health innovation.

          It provides tailored mentorship and development opportunities for Founders who identify as women, disabled and/or neurodiverse, or being from the global majority. Founders also benefit from a development support package including peer support and learning, networking and potential investment/funding support where appropriate.

          The first cohort launched in March 2024 with 29 Founders. 18 identified as female, 12 identified themselves as having a disability and/or being neurodiverse and 21 were from the global majority. Their innovations range from supporting primary, secondary and social care, including function automation as well as healthcare professional training and wellbeing support platforms.

          Founders rated their experience highly, with a Net Promoter Score of 57 (in the ’great’ category). As a result of the Leap programme, three feasibility pilots and one successful fundraising round have already been secured. One Founder secured a place in DigitalHealth.London’s award-winning Accelerator programme while another launched 'Inside Health Innovation’ podcast with the help of our communications team, highlighting digital innovations across the country.

          Focus on kidney and renal health with DigitalHealth.London Accelerator companies Beam and MyRenalCare

          DigitalHealth.London has been supporting two innovations that support patients on the chronic kidney disease (CKD) pathway, aligning with one of the key interventions in the NHS CVD Prevention Pathway.

          With around 7.2 million people in the UK living with CKD, and costing £7 billion annually, digital interventions that promote self-care and remote management are crucial to improving outcomes and lowering costs.

          Kidney Beam is a clinically proven, online exercise, education and wellbeing platform developed for people living with CKD. Created in partnership with King’s College Hospital London, the platform offers live and on-demand classes and programmes led by specialist physiotherapists and instructors who are trained in or live with CKD themselves.

          MyRenalCare transforms CKD diagnosis and management using digital health and point of care (POC) testing. POC testing can take place in the community, making it easier for individuals to be diagnosed. The MyRenalCare digital health platform replaces traditional face-to-face appointments with data driven, remote appointments, as well as access to kidney specialists and educational resources.

          Both SMEs have received specialist advice through DigitalHealth.London’s NHS Navigators, as well as meeting with the HIN’s experts working on the national CVD Prevention Programme.

          Innovation economic growth figures

          Our offer to innovators contributes to the Office of Life Sciences’ (OLS) reporting for economic growth, including job creation and investment raised.  

          Despite a challenging financial climate, our supported companies created 26 new jobs in 2024 across all DigitalHealth.London programmes. In the first three quarters of 2024/25, we engaged with 415 companies across four levels of support:

          • Level one: Provided 224 one-to-one innovation clinics, offering expert advice, support and signposting.
          • Level two and three: The Mindset-XR programme and DigitalHealth.London’s Accelerator, Launchpad and Evidence Generation Bootcamp programmes.
          • Level four: Assisted 43 Accelerator alumni companies in scaling impact and showcasing achievements.

          Notable funding successes include Tiny Medical Apps, who were awarded £799,725 from SBRI Healthcare to develop their Digital Health Passport for Epilepsy. This will improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people living with long-term conditions. PocDoc also raised £5m in a pre-series A round, bringing their total seed funding to £10 million, with involvement from KHP Ventures, a collaboration between King’s College London, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. These funds will help scale their point-of-care cardiovascular disease diagnostics and further expansion into other diseases.

          Supporting adoption of remote monitoring in South East London

          In 2023, South East London ICB was successful in its application for investment via NHS England’s Health Tech Adoption and Acceleration Fund (HTAAF).

          The funding received allowed SEL ICB to accelerate and scale the use of remote monitoring technology within virtual wards services across the region, finding particular success in supporting patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), heart failure, and those recovering from surgery. Implementation and embedded learning activities were supported by the HIN.

          With most of the contracts for the initial remote monitoring implementations due to finish in 2025, SEL ICB worked with the HIN to understand lessons learned and identify opportunities for future optimisation.

          Through engagement with virtual wards staff and managers from every borough in south east London, a number of key insights were uncovered based on the thousands of patients who had been on boarded into the remote monitoring-enabled pathways:

          • Examples of successful implementations where remote monitoring technology had allowed for pathway redesign, improving efficiency and delivering a better patient experience.
          • Factors contributing to successful use of the technology, such as strong support from suppliers.
          • Challenges faced during implementation, including integrations with Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems and staffing difficulties limiting utilisation of extra capacity.

          The learnings from the project will help to shape provision of virtual wards in south east London as their use continues to grow, offering more patients the chance of safe and effective care at home.

          London Anti-Racism Collaboration for Health

          London is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities, with about four in 10 Londoners identifying as being from the global majority.

          Despite this, people from the global majority who live in London face significant health inequalities. From poorer maternal health outcomes to challenges accessing mental health treatment, Londoners from the global majority experience a wide range of inequalities, ultimately reflected in lowered average life expectancy and spending a greater proportion of life in ill-health.

          Tackling the structural and systemic racism which is a major contributor to these inequalities is a public health priority for London, requiring collaboration from across the health and care sector.

          At the forefront of those cooperative efforts is the London Anti-Racism Collaboration for Health (LARCH). Funded by the London Health and Care Partnership and delivered by the HIN and the Race Equality Foundation, LARCH brings together people, services and systems from across London to drive anti-racist action.

          With the HIN leading communications and evaluation activities, LARCH has begun to build momentum for change, with key impacts including:

          • More than 70 NHS and social care organisations expressing interest in using the Race Equity Maturity Index, a groundbreaking tool to help organisations track and improve their anti-racist efforts;
          • 10,000 visits to the LARCH website, with its repository of blogs, case studies and resources;
          • 300+ attendees at learning and engagement events and workshops.
          Watch the video: London Anti-Racism Collaboration for Health Annual Conference 2025: Harjit mini-interview

          DigitalHealth.London Business Support for London evaluation summary

          The DigitalHealth.London Business Support for London programme was delivered between April 2023 and March 2025, as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It focused on the high potential sector of digital health, supporting innovators through six programmes: Accelerator, Launchpad, Evidence Generation Bootcamp, Leap, Net Zero and Social Enterprises.

          An evaluation was undertaken to understand the impact of each element of the programme, with several benefits being identified through participant feedback. Innovators highlighted the impact of virtual workshops, in-person networking opportunities and roundtables for building knowledge, gaining new contacts and peer-to-peer connections. NHS Navigators and subject matter experts were valued the most, with their connections and support pivotal to the success of the programme.

          Three areas of growth were identified to further strengthen the offer:

          • Expand support to include a greater commercial focus, integrating commercial specialists into the team.
          • Increase opportunities for face-to-face, practical examples and workshops with alumni to further facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration.
          • Replicate the CW+ partnership with other London health and care organisations to bring added value.

          The continuation of the programme offers a chance to accelerate these innovations further, whilst also contributing to economic growth and population health in London, the UK, and eventually, internationally.

          160

          companies supported

          14000

          hours of tailored support provided

          32

          new products launched to market

          46

          companies adopting new or improved products or services

          49

          female founded enterprises supported

          52

          jobs created

          Great NPS

          category for the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator

          Top 3

          health Accelerator in England as listed in the Financial Times Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs 2025

          Digital maturity assessment

          Electronic Patient Records (EPRs) are critical elements of modern health systems, acting as centralised health records which are used to inform many facets of patient care.

          The implementation of modern EPRs within NHS services is an important enabler for delivering safe, effective and efficient care. However, since EPRs are procured and implemented locally, no pan-London view of current capabilities is available – posing a significant challenge for funding allocation and strategic decision making.

          Commissioned by NHS England (London region), the HIN undertook the first in-depth review of EPR maturity at a London level. The review included an analysis of self-reported data from all London trusts, as well as assessments and interviews involving 31 NHS provider trusts and Community Interest Companies (CICs). The detailed report resulting from this work outlines the current EPR status, challenges and opportunities for individual providers, as well as identifying wider system themes and regional trends.

          The results of the analysis will be used to guide future government investment into EPR infrastructure – ensuring that every patient in London benefits from the next generation of health record.

          Strategic Priority 4

          Evaluating innovation

          Evaluating the effectiveness of innovations in a real-world setting and generate evidence to identify which innovations should be adopted in health and care.

          By generating robust evidence in real-world settings, we help systems make informed decisions about which innovations to adopt and scale. Our approach combines qualitative insight, health economics, and implementation science to assess both impact and practicality.

          We work closely with innovators, clinicians, and patients to ensure evaluations are grounded in the realities of care delivery. This helps de-risk adoption and provides a clearer pathway for innovation to enter mainstream use. Our work ensures that investment in innovation leads to meaningful, measurable improvements in outcomes.

          Evaluation and informatics: using insights to shape local, regional and national services

          Our Insights team have worked on a diverse range of evaluations and reports over the past 12 months, helping to ensure that NHS and social care programmes are delivering safe and effective care and identifying opportunities for further improvement.

          Notable projects have included:

          • Evaluating cardiovascular disease prevention programmes in south west London, demonstrating the positive impact of an innovative pilot on reducing health markers such as cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as an average weight loss of 1.18kg during the programme.
          • Continuing our support for the transformation of London’s 111 service, ensuring that patient views help to shape a digital service which gives Londoners faster and more equitable access to urgent treatment.
          • Conducting an evaluation of a Rough Sleeping and Mental Health Programme in south London, which highlighted the value of the programme to rough sleepers while also identifying systemic issues that must be addressed to effectively tackle the significant mental health inequalities faced by this population.

          Partnership working has also been a key theme for the team in 2024/25, with projects including a £1.3m multi-year study exploring a digitally enabled weight management service (with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London) and an evaluation of anti-racist approaches to quality improvement in maternity care (with UCL Partners and the Race Equality Foundation) getting underway.

          Ear checks programme evaluation: insights to improve health inequalities

          Hearing impairment in childhood can have a significant impact on many aspects of educational and socio-emotional development. When combined with learning disabilities or other conditions impacting development, such as autism, this impact is further exacerbated.

          Historically, approaches to hearing testing have excluded many children with learning disabilities or developmental disorders from accessing diagnosis, being reliant on subjective responses from the child.

          For several years, an NHS England programme has been piloting more equitable approaches to childhood hearing testing in special schools. A HIN report, published in October 2024, assessed these new tests and methods of delivery. Based on insights from more than 600 young people and 15 school settings, the evaluation provided learnings for the intended national roll-out of the programme:

          • Co-production was an important enabler, with further development of this approach playing a crucial role in engaging children and caregivers with the roll-out of the programme.
          • The ear health pathway is complex, and successful programmes need to start with appropriate buy-in from stakeholders in both the health and educational systems.
          • Further research, such as economic analyses, should be considered to build the business case for the programme.

          Health economic tool for virtual wards

          Emerging research is showing a range of economic impacts of virtual wards including on hospital admissions, length of stay, along with the potential efficiency gains from using remote monitoring.

          NHS England London commissioned us, in partnership with York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC) to work with London ICBs to develop an economic cost model for virtual wards. The model is designed to help commissioners and stakeholders consider value for money and return on investment of virtual ward pathways.

          The co-developed model allows the user to input all parameters and to test different scenarios to understand the cost implications of introducing (or making changes to) virtual ward pathways. The potential for a virtual ward to become cost saving was modelled with hypothetical scenarios using real-world data within the Acute Respiratory Infection pathway.

          Further development of the model could include incorporating patient acuity, if a nationally standardised measure of severity of illness is agreed.

          For now, we hope this practical model will help ICBs determine how a virtual ward can become a sustainable and cost saving staple within their urgent and emergency care services.

          DigitalHealth.London Evidence Generation Bootcamp

          In 2024, DigitalHealth.London delivered its second Evidence Generation Bootcamp. The 12-week programme is designed to help digital health companies generate the evidence needed to support NHS adoption of their innovations, in line with the NICE Evidence Standards Framework for Digital Health Technologies. It is open to UK-based companies launching or scaling their products within the NHS who are committed to strengthening their evidence base.

          During the latest cohort, 16 companies engaged with expert-led workshops, advisory sessions and peer networking to navigate the complexities of evidence generation. Participants received tailored support from NHS professionals, academics and industry experts on key topics, such as clinical validation and regulatory pathways. The programme also fostered research collaborations between companies and academic institutions, building a strong community of practice among digital health innovators across the country.

          Since its inception, the Bootcamp has received positive feedback, with companies highlighting its impact on streamlining evidence generation and providing clear, structured guidance. By equipping companies with the necessary tools and knowledge, the programme has played a role in accelerating the integration of digital health solutions into the NHS, ultimately improving patient care and operational efficiency. For example, one company were able to initiate use of their technology within the NHS, stating: “We have seen tangible benefits in the willingness of an NHS service provider to participate in the pilot trial.”

          Strategic Priority 5

          Our culture

          Building a sustainable, resilient, diverse, and joyful organisation.

          “In my experience, the HIN acts as a genuine system convener – working collaboratively with health and care teams, organisations, patients, and communities to address complex, often ‘wicked’, challenges. They create the conditions for open dialogue, shared learning, and collective action that can drive meaningful and lasting change.”

          Anonymous stakeholder feedback

          We believe that a strong and supportive organisational culture is essential to delivering meaningful change in health and care. This year, we continued to invest in our people, nurture inclusive leadership, and create a workplace where staff feel valued and heard. Through open dialogue, wellbeing initiatives, and targeted training, we are building resilience and fostering joy in the way we work.

          We also recognise our role as a system convener, bringing together partners across sectors, communities, and borders to tackle shared challenges. As part of our global engagement, we welcomed international delegations and contributed to cross-border innovation initiatives, helping to position south London as a leader in health innovation. By investing in our people and relationships, we’re building an organisation that is equipped to support the system now and into the future.

          DigitalHealth.London and International

          Building and fostering relationships within the health and care system is central to our mission as a health innovation network. In addition to collaborating with stakeholders across the UK, we actively engage with international embassies and health system leaders to strengthen our global presence, create opportunities for international expansion, and facilitate a shared learning environment.

          Since April 2024, we have engaged with delegations from Chile, France, Italy, Portugal, Korea, Denmark, and Wales at various events. We also welcomed delegations from Singapore, Estonia, and the Andean countries to our offices. These visits, often organised by national embassy-led accelerators, typically include teams of eight to 12 early-stage digital health innovators.

          During these sessions, we provide an in-depth overview of our work at the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London and DigitalHealth.London, covering key topics such as the NHS structure, priority areas, and procurement processes. We frequently organise one-on-one meetings with subject matter experts to support knowledge exchange.

          Our international partnerships extend further, most recently with the Swiss Accelerator EPFL Innovation Park to deliver FemTech webinars and networking events with the USA’s Mayo Clinic and the Finnish embassy. Early discussions with the American Department for Business and Trade are currently underway to explore the feasibility of a UK-US innovation programme.

          Listening, supporting, and improving: Our 2024/25 commitment

          At the HIN, we continue to prioritise staff engagement and well-being.

          In 2024/25, we’ve taken practical steps to build on what our teams have told us matters most:

          • We held dedicated listening and responding sessions during staff away days to encourage open discussion and feedback.
          • We launched a stress awareness campaign to support mental health and promote access to relevant resources.
          • We invested in training for managers to help them better support their teams and contribute to individual development.

          These actions are part of our ongoing effort to create a supportive and responsive workplace. This year, we saw our highest-ever response to the NHS Staff Survey, with 80% of staff participating. Key results include:

          • 91% would recommend HIN as a place to work.
          • Over 90% feel appreciated by colleagues and valued by their line manager.
          • 94% agree that the organisation takes positive action on health and well-being.

          These results reflect a strong organisational culture, underpinned by our values: brave, kind, open, different, and together.

          We recognise there is always more to do. That’s why we’re continuing to invest in staff well-being, leadership development, and inclusive practices—ensuring we maintain a workplace where people feel supported, heard, and able to thrive.

          Finances

          Overall financial position

          £’000

          Income

          9,916

          Expenditure

          9,564

          Surplus

          352

          Funding sources

          Income

          £’000

          NHS England

          3,275

          Patient Safety Collaborative

          726

          Office of Life Sciences

          884

          South East London ICB

          788

          South West London ICB

          384

          NHS Trusts

          700

          Other NHS organisations

          213

          AHSNs/Health Innovation Networks

          32

          Third Sector

          379

          Companies

          89

          Local Government

          59

          Government

          2,298

          Universities

          90

          Total

          9,916

          Expenditure

          Expenditure

          £’000

          Pay

          Non-Pay

          Total

          Central Costs

          909

          933

          1,842

          Corporate Support

          1,047

          118

          1,165

          Communications

          495

          114

          609

          Long Term Conditions

          966

          67

          1,033

          Mental Health

          350

          309

          659

          Patient Safety

          554

          168

          722

          Care Homes & Network Support Programmes

          478

          47

          525

          Graduates into Health

          98

          -

          98

          Digital Transformation and Technology

          440

          53

          493

          Insights

          939

          46

          985

          Innovator Support

          915

          518

          1,433

          Total

          7,191

          2,373

          9,564

          Pay Gap

          We are committed to improving diversity, inclusion and equality. In the interests of transparency we publish data annually relating to the gender and ethnicity pay gap among staff at the HIN. The latest available data for 2024/25 is below.

          As a relatively small organisation, caution should be exercised when interpreting the data, particularly where it is further broken down, for example when data is split into pay grades.

          We recognise that our staff do not collectively represent the diversity of our south London population, which is why we are working to avoid recruitment bias and ensure we are an inclusive and welcoming employer. Externally, we continue to prioritise the reduction of health inequalities in all our projects and encourage our partners to do the same.

          Gender

          Mean hourly pay: men 14% higher than  women. In 2023/24 men 14% higher than women.

          Median hourly pay: men 4% higher than women. In 2023/24 men 5% higher than women.

          Ethnicity

          Mean hourly pay: those who identify as white 7% higher than those who identify as being from the global majority. In 2023/24 those who identify as white 3% higher than those who identify as being from the global majority.

          Median hourly pay: those who identify as white 18% higher than those who identify as being from the global majority. In 2023/24 those who identify as white 10% higher than those who identify as being from the global majority.

          Breakdown of Diversity by band

          Band Gender Ethnicity
            Total Men Women Total White Global majority
          4 9 2 22% 7 78% 9 4 44% 5 56%
          5 15 4 27% 11 73% 15 8 53% 7 47%
          6 1 1 100% 0 0% 1 0 0% 1 100%
          7 21 5 24% 16 76% 21 15 71% 6 29%
          8a 21 6 29% 15 71% 21 16 76% 5 24%
          8b 7 2 29% 5 71% 7 7 100% 0 0%
          8c 5 1 20% 4 80% 5 4 80% 1 20%
          8d 5 2 40% 3 60% 5 4 80% 1 20%
          9 1 0 0% 1 100% 1 1 100% 0 0%
          Very Senior Manager (VSM) 6 3 50% 3 50% 5 3 60% 2 40%
          Clinical Director (part-time, various contracts) 8 3 38% 5 63% 8 4 50% 4 50%
          Total 99 29 29% 70 71% 98* 66 67% 32 33%

          *Total is different because some staff have chosen not to declare their ethnicity

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