The NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) is excited to announce a collaboration with the Modality Partnership, a renowned GP super-partnership operating nationally. The purpose of this collaboration is to foster innovation in primary healthcare for the benefit of patients and the healthcare ecosystem.

The Modality Partnership, an award-winning GP super-partnership, comprises 50 practices serving more than 455,000 registered patients across England. Their comprehensive range of services, including community outreach with a reach to 7 million citizens, covers five Health Innovation Network footprints, making them a flagship for innovation in primary care.

The collaboration aims to strengthen ties between the NIA, a national innovation programme representing its Fellows and their solutions, and primary care. Modality, as the UK’s largest primary care network, stands as a strategic partner to bridge this gap.

The NIA will actively identify and support innovative solutions in collaboration with the Health Innovation Network. Whilst connecting NIA Fellows with Modality, facilitating discussions, and offering reviews to identify areas of improvement, Modality staff will have opportunities for mentorship within the NIA. Additionally, Modality will share best practices, allow NIA Fellows to pitch their ideas, and serve as a testing ground for new innovations. Both parties will collaborate on the health inequalities agenda and engage national stakeholders to advance shared initiatives.

Konrad Dobschuetz, National Director, NHS Innovation Accelerator said:

“I am delighted that Vincent and his team believe in the mission of the NIA, bringing promising innovations into the NHS for patient and staff benefit. Primary care is such an important part of our eco-system, one that is underrepresented in the wider innovation agenda. With this first collaboration, we hope to contribute a much needed change.“

Vincent Sai, Group CEO and Partner, Modality Partnership said:

“Recognising the pivotal role of primary care in our health system, this collaboration represents an exciting juncture for us to explore novel opportunities with the NHS Innovation Accelerator. Together, we aim to pioneer innovative solutions that will elevate the standard of care and drive positive change in healthcare.“

This partnership, without additional resource requirements, exemplifies how national-level collaborations can accelerate innovations. This strategic alliance reinforces the importance of primary care in healthcare innovation, benefiting NIA Fellows, stakeholders, and most importantly, patients. It shows a true commitment to prioritising primary care in healthcare innovation. This is the first collaboration partnership of its kind with primary care, and it is hoped that other similar partnerships will follow.