DigitalHealth.London looks back and ahead for its fifth birthday

To celebrate its fifth birthday, DigitalHealth.London has published a document which delves into what the organisation has learnt over the last five years.

Launched in 2016, the organisation aims to accelerate the adoption of digital innovations across health and care in London. Applications for its sixth cohort of accelerators opened in August 2021.

Published today (November 11) “Driving digital: Insights and foresights from the health and care ecosystem” provides a reflection on what has happened since DigitalHealth.London was launched as well as looking into the opportunities for the next five years in digital health.

The free-to-access publication features input from the likes of from Matthew Gould, CEO of NHSX and Patrick Mitchell, director of innovation, transformation and digital at Health Education England – plus NHS and social care staff, digital health companies, patients and academics.

Jenny Thomas, programme director at DigitalHealth.London, said: “We are proud of what DigitalHealth.London has achieved over the last five years in supporting the growth of digital health innovation in London and of how much we have learnt. But we know that there is still more to be done. That is why we wanted to celebrate our 5th birthday by starting an open discussion with groups from across the healthcare sector.

“Thank you to everyone who took part in what was an enlightening conversation, and we hope that those reading these insights gain as much from it as we did.”

Topics in the publication include NHS digital health adoption, tackling digital exclusion, the importance of co-design, challenges of health tech evaluation, AI for workforce support, growth of remote monitoring and international opportunities.

Sonia Patel, CIO at NHSX, added: “The digital health landscape has changed dramatically over the last five years, and it is clear from the insights shared in DigitalHealth.London’s 5th birthday publication, that as a sector we’ve learnt an incredible amount.

“As a Londoner, I’m particularly pleased to see progress in tech and data to support a multicultural, diverse community. It is also apparent that, while we’ve still got a way to go, the future is bright for digital health in London and beyond. If you’re working in digital health, this is a must read.”