The NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) is delighted to announce its 2025 intake – 28 exceptional health and social care innovators, ready to support the NHS in the areas that make the biggest difference to patients.

Officially launching at Digital Health – Rewired, the NIA welcomes its largest cohort of Fellows onto its prestigious three-year programme, reflecting the NIA’s aim of using innovation widely to transform patient and staff care. These Fellows now join a legacy of transformative healthcare solutions, following in the footsteps of NIA Alumni such as DrDoctor, Patients Know Best and Nervecentre – which, in 2024, won more EPR tenders than any other provider, securing £250 million in contracts in a single year.

As the NIA celebrates a decade of helping to drive innovation in the NHS, this year’s cohort aligns with the Governments three priorities: supporting the transition from analogue to digital, sickness to prevention, and hospital to community-based care.

The new Fellows will benefit from the NIA’s tailored support, including expert guidance, peer support and access to a network of key stakeholders in healthcare, equipping them to scale their solutions and drive real-world impact.

Mindy Simon, Co-Director of the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) said, “Welcoming a new cohort of Fellows is always an exciting moment, and this year, as we celebrate 10 years of the programme, it feels even more special. At the NIA, we are committed to supporting innovators navigate the complexities of the system and drive real impact for the benefit of patient care and the workforce. Our programme is designed to provide Fellows with the knowledge, connections, visibility and confidence they need to overcome challenges and support the NHS, the healthcare ecosystem and the wider UK economy.”

Jack Porter, Co-Director of the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) added, “Innovation is crucial to the future of healthcare, and ensuring it reaches the people who need it most is not always simple. Over the next year, we will be working closely with system leaders, NHS organisations and all our partners to create opportunities for our Fellows and their solutions to gain real traction. This year’s cohort is tackling some of healthcare’s biggest challenges and we’re looking forward to seeing the impact they make.”

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England and Chair of the NHS Innovation Accelerator said, “The future success of the NHS lies in harnessing innovation and adopting new ways of working to enable more efficient and best-practice healthcare delivery. Congratulations to the 28 innovators that make up this 2025 cohort – this Fellowship is a fantastic opportunity to develop, accelerate and deliver solutions to enhance our NHS and improve patient care and staff experience.”

Zoe Wright, Founder and CEO of The Real Birth Company and NHS Innovation Accelerator Alumni said, “Being part of the NHS Innovation Accelerator has been an incredible experience – one that has provided invaluable insights and great connections with other innovators going through the same journey, as well as those within the system. More than anything though, over the past three years, the programme has given me a clearer understanding of navigating the complexities of healthcare adoption, while also delivering real results in supporting the acceleration of my solution into the NHS. To the new cohort, my advice is to embrace the network, stay resilient, and keep patient benefit at the heart of everything you do. This is a rare opportunity to drive real change – make the most of it!”