Entrepreneurs and start-ups may hold the answers to some of healthcare’s most pressing issues here in the UK but for many companies gaining access into primary care is challenging to say the least.
Now, a new partnership between healthtech accelerator HS., and GP on-demand service GDPQ aims to meet the unmet need for healthcare technology within primary healthcare settings.
The partnership has been developed in response to the lack of crucial access to clinicians and commissioners that entrepreneurs face when needing to test or validate their innovations; causing a large barrier for the successful adoption of healthtech in the primary care setting.
The companies are spearheading what they call the first-of-its-kind programme to help fast-track the most promising healthtech start-ups focussed on primary care. HS. and GDPQ will work with over 60 NHS GPs to help bridge the gap between health technology providers and UK GP services.
CEO of GPDQ Paul Roberts says that current debates surrounding innovation within healthcare ‘presents a false choice between new technology and personal, face-to-face care.’
The new partnership on the other hand “involves putting NHS GPs and patients at the heart of broader healthtech innovation,” Roberts says. “GPs have a big role to play in supporting patient-facing trials, and we’re proud to offer a key link that has been difficult for innovators to access until now.
“Our partnership with HS. enables us to work with other innovators to put new technology into the hands of our NHS GPs and develop solutions that bring together the best of both worlds – technology with a human touch. Together, we provide a crucial link to deliver patient-facing, real-world test-beds for innovations.”
Dr James Somauroo, Founding Partner of HS., comments: “By partnering with GPDQ, we have now built the fastest and most impactful route to market for anyone with an idea or solution in primary care. Of the 100 cutting-edge, healthtech start-ups HS. will be supporting over the next 12 months, we want half of them to be focussed on providing benefit to primary care to gain from this incredible route to market.
“This is a perfect example of innovation pathways that are necessary in the healthcare system: entrepreneurs co-developing solutions with GPs and patients to ensure that we combine technology with a proper understanding of the vital, human touchpoints. In doing so, our innovators can now ensure that their products improve clinical care and make a real impact in people’s lives.
“One of the innovators taking part in the partnership is Feebris, whose AI and machine learning platform can ease the burden on the primary care system by accurately predicting and preventing disease. This technology is now finally in the hands of NHS GPs and can be designed and developed around the UK health systems and the way GPs work.”
Elina Naydenova, founder of Feebris spoke about being accepted onto the accelerator programme, saying: “As one of the very first start-ups to be accepted onto the HS. accelerator programme, we have witnessed the incredible value of working with industry experts, as well as clinicians who can use Feebris to make a difference in their care for patients. Through HS. and GPDQ, amazing access to networks that would otherwise have taken years to gain, if ever at all, have already proven to be such a benefit, enabling us to keep evolving and gain vital traction, helping us to make impact where it matters most: on the frontline of the NHS.”
