Health Tech in the West Midlands

In future, digital applications will allow patients the benefit of greater control over their own health. They will access faster treatment, make fewer trips to hospital, and experience more support in their own home. Support for treatment, support for managing long-term conditions, and support for living a healthier life. And a key advantage will be greater access to their own data. Health and social care staff will benefit, too. Their time will be freed up for giving more attention to patients with the most urgent and complex issues, they will avoid duplication, and they will be better able to share information in secure and collaborative ways. In 2020, the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Babylon agreed a 10-year partnership to develop a new model of digital-first healthcare to improve care for the population of Wolverhampton. The partnership was first to launch the globally available COVID-19 care assistant. They launched the service, which leveraged Babylon technology and the Trust’s operational know-how, to ensure their population had access to the right advice and services at the right time. The new model envisages digital access to a wide range of services, including health assessments, symptom checking, consultations with doctors and nurses, real-time health information from wearable technology and connected apps, and rehabilitation after surgery.

The implications go far beyond treatment for existing conditions – people can access information, advice and promptings to manage their health and prevent ill-health arising in the first place. Babylon is a large British company. At the other end of the scale, our region is home to an expanding base of small companies with big ideas. Dignio is one example. A Norwegian business, Dignio set up a Birmingham base because of the support it received from regional organisations like the Academic Health Science Network. The company’s ambition is to enable and empower individuals with longterm conditions to self-manage their health. Facilitating safe remote care and behavioural change, Dignio’s Connected Care solution comprises software as a medical device and consists of a platform for healthcare professionals and a user-friendly patient app. The company is growing and expanding its presence in the UK.