In our latest #OurEntrepreneurs profile we meet cohort 8 Clinical Entrepreneur Fiona McCormick, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am a Specialist Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist working within the community across London to support children to develop their speech, language, and communication skills. After graduating from UCL, I pursued a specialism within Deafness/Hearing Impairment and now work within specialist Deaf/Hearing Impairment units to further my interests and expertise in the field.
Name: Fiona McCormick
Occupation: Specialist Speech and Language Therapist.
Location: Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust.
Tell us about your innovation
MySelf Healthcare is a Speech and Language Therapy platform which enables multiple caregivers (parents, carers and teachers) to access video tutorials of their child’s personalised targets directly from their speech and language therapist, regardless of time or location. Additionally, it also provides access to resources related to these goals.
The platform aims to have a positive impact on improving patient outcomes, increasing time efficiencies for therapists and improving caregiver confidence and consistency when carrying out intervention activities.
Surveyed speech therapists reported that the two biggest challenges they faced are poor carryover of intervention activities between appointments and limited therapist time. MySelf Healthcare aims to address both of these issues in order to tackle waiting lists within speech therapy and improve patient outcomes. Currently 1.9 million children within the UK have speech and language difficulties. This impacts their academic attainment, development of positive peer relationships and their overall well-being. Unfortunately, despite the level of need, there is also a national shortage of Speech and Language Therapists, with approximately one in every four posts being vacant. Innovation within this field is vitally needed in order to provide the care required for the children affected by speech and language difficulties.
Why did you apply to join the programme, and what are you most looking forward to?
I discovered the opportunity to apply for the programme when researching online for accelerator programmes within the NHS. The Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (CEP) provided opportunities to develop knowledge and experience and I particularly liked how the CEP was suitable for innovators at any stage of their journey.
I am most looking forward to the learning and development experience that the CEP offers, and also the chance to build my network, not only with fellow entrepreneurs who are on the same journey as me, but also with experienced mentors and coaches, who will be invaluable in helping to turn my innovation from an idea into reality.
During my time on the programme, I hope to build my knowledge of the fundamentals of building a business through each of the pit stops and the topics they explore, from finance and legal to leadership and funding. Coming from a clinical background, these are not areas I currently have experience with; therefore, this will be a very valuable learning opportunity.
I am also looking forward to being paired with a mentor who is an expert in their field and to be able to learn from their experience. I hope to work with someone who can support me to navigate the challenges of building a business, based on their experiences and connection base.
What are your ambitions for the next year?
Over the next year, my ambitions are to take my innovation from the Minimal Viable Product (MVP) stage to the Minimal Marketable Product (MMP) stage. I aim to collect more data to further validate the idea and in turn use this to progress and grow my user base.
In addition, my goal is to attend as many Pit Stops as possible (hopefully all of them) in person to gain as much as I can from the learning opportunities on offer.
Why do you think innovation is important in healthcare?
Innovation in healthcare is essential to solve the challenges that come from aging populations, staff shortages and economic struggles. As our society develops, so too does our need for new and novel ways to serve it. All of the significant breakthroughs in healthcare have been driven by innovation and have saved or improved countless lives. Within the NHS, innovation is crucial to provide improved patient outcomes, preventative measures and the much-needed resource efficiency that will help keep the UK as a world leader in healthcare.
How can we find out more?
Please visit www.myselfhealthcare.com for more information or connect with me on LinkedIn. I would love to connect with Clinical Entrepreneurs and others interested in healthcare innovation.