Welcome to the June issue of our newsletter.
This month, our blog examines the role innovators have in helping the NHS, employers and communities respond to the growing challenge of mental ill health in the workforce.
For this issue's company spotlight, we are delighted to introduce Care Reality who are revolutionising adult social care training through immersive technology.
As always, if you have any comments or suggestions for future newsletters, you can get in touch with the team at hin.mindset@nhs.net.
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This month we shine our company spotlight on Care Reality who are focused on enhancing workplace learning and skills through emerging immersive learning technology.
Ross Toomer and Lucy Cooney from Care Reality talk about FLO, their immersive VR learning platform which has been tailored for use in social care, community health settings, and residential care homes.
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Concerns about mental ill health and its impact on employment have grown significantly in recent years. The UK Government’s Get Britain Working white paper paints a stark picture: mental health is now the largest work-limiting health condition among people under 45.
In our latest blog, Aileen Jackson, Head of Mental Health at the Health Innovation Network South London, examines the ways in which innovators have been tackling how the NHS, employers and communities can respond to the growing challenge of mental ill health in the workforce.
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Addressing health inequalities in XR solutions
Our next webinar, What's the point: Making sense of health inequalities, will take place on Tuesday, 1 July, from 12-1 pm.
In this session, Catherine Dale, Patient Safety Programme Director at the Health Innovation Network South London, will provide an overview of health inequalities and what this means for innovators.
Catherine will explore why this matters to the NHS, and how viewing innovation through a health inequality lens can make solutions more attractive by helping innovators reach those with the greatest needs.
You can find out more and apply for free tickets here.
All of our previous webinars, which were recorded, are available on our Mindset-XR Innovation Support webpage under the Webinars tab.
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We're delighted to offer a set of free learning resources designed to help mental health innovators working in the extended reality space navigate some of the challenges associated with transitioning their concepts and ideas into products and interventions.
We have published three sets of on-demand learning resources, which cover Medical Regulation (with Hardian Health), Lived experience involvement (with MQ Mental Health Research), and Research and clinical evidence (with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London).
There will be further modules coming in due course, and we will share details of those in forthcoming issues of this newsletter.
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You can find out more about the Mindset-XR Innovator Support Programme by checking our dedicated webpages.
We have recently refreshed our project pages by theming innovators on the Mindset-XR Innovator Support Programme into areas of clinical focus.
Elsewhere on the webpage, you'll find every blog we have published since the start of the programme, alongside information on all our partners, the latest news and a range of other useful resources.
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Horizon Europe Work Programmes 2025/26
In May, the European Commission published its Horizon Europe Work Programmes for 2025/26 where you can find out more about their priorities for the year ahead and the different funding opportunities available.
The Health Work Programme 2025 has six main priorities, with mental health featuring in two of them:
- Innovative therapeutic interventions and complementary approaches for patients suffering from mental, behavioural and neurodevelopmental disorders
- Implementation research addressing strategies to strengthen health systems for equitable high-quality care and health outcomes in the context of non-communicable diseases; includes mental health disorders, neurological disorders and sleep disorders
You can find out more in this document published by the European Commission. The closing date is 16 September 2025.
RADIANT grant opportunity
RADIANT bridges the gap between regulatory science and real-world innovation, creating a sustainable and inclusive ecosystem for SMEs and innovators in digital health and AI.
They are currently offering grants of up to £10,000 to 6–8 teams who are addressing regulatory challenges in digital health and AI in healthcare.
You can find out more about this opportunity and how to apply on their dedicated web page.
The UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme
This government-backed initiative has been set up to help UK tech firms grow in the Asia Pacific region, de-risking and accelerating the sector's growth. The Programme provides support for UK firms to expand in 11 APAC markets: Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea.
If you are a technology startup or scaleup, headquartered in the UK, and keen to explore opportunities in APAC, look no further.
Find out more here.
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Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) webinar on Digital Mental Health Technology
A recording is now available of a very informative webinar held on 15 May by the MHRA which examined the regulation and evaluation of Digital Mental Health Technology (DMHT).
Watch the webinar here.
ADR UK Data Catalogue
ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK) is a partnership providing access to a catalogue of the UK’s wealth of public sector data for researchers, enabling them to make better informed policy decisions that improve people’s lives.
You can access the mental health data sets here.
The King's Awards for Enterprise
The King’s Awards for Enterprise are for outstanding achievement by UK businesses in one of four categories, including innovation, and applications are now open.
Find out more here, including how to apply and the benefits of winning an Award. The closing date for applications is 9 September.
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The Annual Healthcare Technology Show and Exhibition 2025
Salford, 1 July, 9.00am - 4pm
This event from the Institute of Government and Public Policy, in collaboration with the Health Innovation Network, will bring together healthcare leaders, policymakers and technology pioneers to examine the implications of NHS structural reforms, discuss strategies and explore the role of technology in streamlining healthcare delivery.
Jill Owens, National Programme Manager for the Mindset-XR Innovator Support at the Health Innovation Network South London, will be taking part in a panel at the event titled Can extended reality (XR) technology transform mental health support? She will be joined by Dr Sarah Campbell from Play Well for Life and Penny Day from XR Therapeutics.
Find out more about what is planned across the day and book your ticket.
techUK Annual Dinner
Central London, 1 July, 6.30pm - 12am
Key figures in the tech industry, government representatives, and influential stakeholders will be in attendance for an evening of unparalleled networking opportunities, thought-provoking discussions, insights into the future of technology, and exciting celebrations.
Find out more and book your ticket.
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We hope you have enjoyed this Newsletter. Please feel free to forward on to any contacts you have who you think will find it useful.
If you have received this Newsletter from a colleague and would like to be added to our direct mailing list, please contact us and we will make sure you receive the next issue in July.
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