Digital health hub pilot scheme - LEAP

The LEAP Digital Health Hub is a partnership of the South West's leading Universities, more than 20 supporting companies nationally, many NHS Trusts & Health Boards, 4 social care organisations, the region's Local Authorities, the West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN), the award-winning business incubator SETsquared and Health Data Research UK (HDRUK).

The 50+ partners that shaped this bid ranged from the research director for a provider of residential care homes, to a chief clinical information officer working in an intensive care unit; from the founder of a femtech startup to the head of the healthcare analytics team for a multinational consulting firm. In workshops through June and July 2022 they told us that Digital Health is as much about design and user experience as health data analysis; it is motivated by patient benefit but must also consider viable business models for industry.

All Hub partners will have access to dedicated physical office space in central Bristol alongside the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Digital Health and Care. There, they will train, network and research together across disciplines and sectors. They will engage with partners across the UK- and beyond. Recognising that UK breakthroughs in Digital Health may be equally (or more) impactful abroad, the Hub's new "Global Digital Health Network" links the Hub to Digital Health expertise from the US, China, India, Nigeria and Australia (sections B1.2, B5).

The Hub's unique Skills and Knowledge Programme is designed to address the professional training needs of industry, health and social care providers and academia within the two Themes of Transforming Health & Care Beyond the Hospital and Optimising Disease Prediction, Diagnosis & Intervention. This is proposed to be the world's largest Digital Health taught programme.

The Hub's Fellowship programme will comprise 5 different schemes to develop future leaders, within not only academia, industry and the health/care sector, but also within the community - as patients or informal carers.

The Hub's Research programme focusses on pre-competitive research within the Hub's two thematic areas of Transforming Health and Care Beyond the Hospital and Optimising Disease Prediction, Diagnosis and Intervention. The Hub will add value by surfacing health priorities from its partner health and social care organisations, working with the West of England AHSN and also with Hub members such as Chief Nursing Information Officers, with charities, social care providers, patient and community groups.