Entrepreneurial NHS staff are being supported to develop and implement their innovations to help address healthcare inequalities and improve access, experience and outcomes for underserved populations.
The Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (CEP), supported by the Accelerated Access Collaborative and delivered by Anglia Ruskin University, empowers healthcare professionals to transform services through innovation; equipping them with the skills and experience to scale their most innovative ideas for the benefit of patients, staff and the wider NHS.
Professor Tony Young OBE, National Clinical Lead for Innovation at NHS England and Professor of Entrepreneurship and Medical Innovation at Anglia Ruskin University said “New innovations hold the potential to address barriers and challenges experienced by underserved communities and the Clinical Entrepreneur Programme is a great example of how the NHS can embed solutions which help to narrow healthcare inequalities The richness and diversity of our cohorts is helping us to find helpful and sustainable solutions which are making a real difference to the people we serve.”
Innovations supported include a platform devised to showcase the signs of disease on darker skin, an app with flashcards covering common healthcare topics, which offers translations in over thirty languages and inclusive antenatal education workshops in deprived areas. The CEP has also partnered with Venture Studio from Crisis to support people who have experienced homelessness to build and grow businesses which is helping to address the social determinants of health by supporting employment opportunities for those at risk of experiencing healthcare inequalities.