CATCH by Damibu selected to join the NHS Innovation Accelerator

A great achievement for EIT Health UK-Ireland Headstart winner

CATCH (Common Approach To Children’s Health), developed by Damibu, is one of 11 innovations selected to join the nationally-celebrated NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA), now entering its third year. NIA is an NHS England initiative delivered in partnership with England’s 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs). Since it launched in July 2015, the NIA has supported the uptake and spread of 25 high-impact, evidence-based innovations across 799 NHS organisations.

CATCH – Common Approach To Children’s Health: Addressing the inappropriate use of NHS services when self-care would be more appropriate, the CATCH app gives parents appropriate and understandable information when they need and want it, via smartphone or tablet. Damibu’s app is one of the 11 innovations selected to join the NIA in 2017. Each of the new innovations joining the NIA in 2017 offer solutions to key challenges in Primary Care, Urgent and Emergency Care and Mental Health. Their recruitment onto the NIA follows an international call and robust selection process, including review by a collegiate of over 100 assessors and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Damibu is a Liverpool based health technology studio that works with the NHS and Public Sector organisations to develop simple innovative solutions to complex problems. Damibu was one of the winners of the EIT Health Headstart/Proof-of-Concept grants in 2016. You can read more about them, together with the other winners of the Headstart grant and of other EIT Health Accelerator programmes in ‘Our Entrepreneurs’ brochure here.

Dave Burrows, CEO of Damibu, said: “The Damibu team are really excited about the possibilities that joining the NIA family has to offer. Damibu is already known within the North West for its health innovations, as shown by our North-West Excellence Supply Award we won last month. Being selected for the NIA gives us a springboard to spread our innovations nationally. We intend to make the most of this unique opportunity.”

Ian Dodge, National Director for Strategy and Innovation at NHS England, said: “Since it started the NHS Innovation Accelerator has continued to deliver for patients and the taxpayer. It’s just one of the ways that the NHS is getting its act together to provide practical help for innovators with the best ideas. From a small investment, we are already seeing very big benefits – safer care for patients, better value for taxpayers, new jobs created and export wins.”

Mike Hannay, Chair of the NHS AHSN Network, said: “As a national NHS AHSN Network we remain committed to supporting the NIA to ensure that as many residents, patients and staff as possible can access these innovations, which support primary care and urgent and emergency care needs. We look forward to working with the new Fellows over the coming months to deliver these innovations at scale across the country.”