Annual review 2024-25 P1 Transforming lives through innovation Year in review 2024–25 has been a transformative year for healthcare. Since our last annual review, a new government has taken office, bringing a bold and clearly articulated vision for the NHS. Central to this are three strategic shifts embedded in the NHS Ten Year Health Plan: from analogue to digital, from hospital to community, and from treatment to prevention. Health innovation will be essential to realising these shifts. It is also a key driver of the government’s growth agenda, contributing to increased productivity and economic development. This year, Health Innovation KSS has delivered innovation that benefits both healthcare and the wider economy. In this review, we highlight some of our most impactful projects and share case studies that we hope will inspire and inform others across the system. None of this progress would have been possible without the support of our commissioners and partners. Over the past year, we’ve continued to strengthen relationships with health and care professionals, academia, researchers, innovators, industry, patients, and caregivers. We’ve also deepened our collaboration with local Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) to address shared challenges in innovation and transformation. We are proud to have contributed to the development of the NHS Ten Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan. We stand ready to support their delivery by continuing to accelerate the spread of innovation and connect people to transformative ideas. Looking ahead to 2025–26, with your continued support and collaboration, we are confident that Health Innovation KSS will play a pivotal role in building a healthier, more equitable society. Professor Hatim Abdulhussein CEO Jane Ollis Chair Three shifts Innovation is at the heart of delivering the government’s three shifts for health and social care, and our work this year has made great strides in these areas. We’ve shared a few examples here, but keep an eye out for the three shift symbols throughout this review to find more. Hospital to community Shifting care closer to home to better support people in their communities. Polycystic ovary syndrome test has potential to improve patient experience and reduce NHS carbon footprint Link Tackling problematic polypharmacy Link NHS Sussex and Health Innovation KSS partner to tackle health-related employment barriers Link Sickness to prevention Taking proactive health measures to help people live longer, healthier lives. Sustainable Health Care Unit: A new approach to reducing health inequalities in Kent and Medway Link Developing simulation-based training programme for preterm births Link Transforming Prostate Cancer Care: Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance & Medefer Partnership Link Analogue to digital Embracing digital technologies to modernise care delivery and improve efficiency. 2025 AI Visionaries Announced: Spotlight on Women’s Health Innovation Link Transforming primary care access and efficiency through Smart Triage: A case study Link Health Innovation KSS deliver Digital Fellows Programme for Maidstone Tunbridge Wells Trust Link #1. Supporting innovators Commissioned by the Government’s Office for Life Sciences (OLS) and NHS England, we support health and care businesses and individual innovators to help realise the potential of their ideas and to further develop their products for adoption and spread across our local footprint and nationally. We seek to find, test and implement the most promising innovations to meet the needs and priorities of our local systems. Recognising the interlink between health and wealth, we have focussed support on innovations that can create local jobs and bring economic wealth into our region. In 2024-25, we have made a significant contribution to economic growth through our advice and guidance service to all innovators and our targeted support of high growth innovators who match local needs. Nationally, the Health Innovation Network achieved almost £500 million in funding leveraged and 912 jobs created or safeguarded across the country this year. £0m funding leveraged by companies supported by Health Innovation KSS 0 jobs created or safeguarded 0 companies supported by Health Innovation KSS £0m across three successful SBRI awards supported by Health Innovation KSS Economic growth statistics achieved by Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex in 2024-25 We provide a wide range of support to med tech and digital innovators. The type and level depends largely on the needs and development stage of the specific innovation and the matching of their solution to local and national health and care needs and priorities. For example, we help early-stage innovators refine value propositions, while latter-stage support may include business case development and real-world evaluations and the brokering of connections with our local ICBs and providers. We work closely with funders, like the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) and Innovate UK, to provide support to themed calls that meet the most pressing needs of health and care. In 2024-25, we supported three successful SBRI bids which awarded a total of £1.2 million in funding. For example, we supported Luscii Healthtech, in partnership with Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, with a successful bid which will fund an evaluation of their acute virtual wards. The wards enable patients to receive hospital-level care at home, reducing hospital admissions and enhancing healthcare efficiency. We also partner closely with our local ICSs to connect them to evidenced innovations that address their biggest challenges. This includes through our Primary Care Innovation Panel and the Kent & Medway Digital Innovation Board. Head to our local programmes section to find out more “Our Enterprise and Industry team has expertly guided a diverse range of high-potential innovators through the complexities of the health and care system this year. We’ve helped the development of the value proposition of their products translate into real-world solutions that drive their business forward, bring economic growth into our region and improve lives. The case studies in this review showcase our commitment to finding, testing and implementing impactful innovations across the South East.” Nuala Foley Associate Director Commercial and Enterprise Case study Transforming primary care access and efficiency through Smart Triage Rapid Health’s Smart Triage is an autonomous patient triaging system, aiming to improve access for patients and enable better demand and capacity management. Smart Triage was introduced at the Groves Medical Centre in October 2023 for all GP appointment requests for over 18s, and all admin requests. Health Innovation KSS commissioned Unity Insights to conduct an independent evaluation showing improvements in access and capacity management. Rapid Health now plans to expand to other practices and explore mental health applications. 0% of appointments automatically booked and allocated without staff or clinical intervention 0% fewer phone calls at 8am 0 days faster for patients to receive a pre-bookable appointment Read full case study Explore more examples of our work with innovators: Transforming Prostate Cancer Care: Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance & Medefer Partnership The Targeted Prostate Health Check (TPHC) is a new approach to efficiently identify prostate cancer earlier. TPHC has been developed... Case Study 11 Dec 2024 More Championing NHS Adoption of MRI-guided radiotherapy: Health Innovation KSS supports Elekta Unity Elekta Unity combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a medical linear accelerator (linac) to improve precision radiotherapy for cancer, potentially reducing treatment burden for patients while improving outcomes. Case StudyNews 12 Mar 2025 More NHS Kent and Medway agrees contract with MUTU to help postpartum mums recover after childbirth MUTU®, the evidence-based digital postnatal recovery platform, has secured its first NHS contract. The programme will be implemented in Medway... News 19 Feb 2025 More From hospital corridors to surgical health pioneers: A case study from Definition Health Definition Health is an award-winning provider of personalised digital health solutions for surgery. The company’s innovative platform which includes LifeBox,... Case Study 17 Oct 2024 More Breaking barriers in mental health: A case study from Dr Julian Dr Julian Nesbitt is the founder of Dr-Julian. This case study highlights his experiences of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme and working with Health Innovation KSS. Case StudyNews 5 Sep 2024 More Clera Healthcare: Created by clinical entrepreneurs to improve communication with patient families Jonathan Abeles and Alice Appleton are NHS doctors and Co-Founders of Clera Healthcare. Case Study 15 Apr 2024 More Independent evaluation finds Metadvice AI is an effective tool for reducing clinician workload in UK Primary Care Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex comissioned Unity Insights, facilitated by the Office of Life Sciences commission, to evaluate the application of the Metadvice artificial intelligence (AI) precision clinical guidance tool within the Ball Tree Surgery in Lancing and Sompting PCN. News 18 Jul 2024 More ← →