We lead, facilitate and develop opportunities for digital innovation through our work in digital research and development, creating new innovative products, technologies and services solving both existing problems and unmet needs.
The Digital Innovation Unit is a small team of skilled experienced professionals whose drive and passion adds value and achieves better health outcomes for patients through innovative digital technology and solutions.
As an NHS organisation we make no profit, with all returns invested back into NHS innovation.
Around two thirds of our work is national for NHS England on high-profile strategic prevention programmes. The remaining third is diversely spread across a range of regions and organisations – such as integrated care boards (ICBs) and provider organisations. We also do research and development (R&D).
Skills and expertise
Our wide range of knowledge, skills and expertise include:
Digital leadership / consultancy / R&D / innovation
Intelligent automation – artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and chatbots
Software development
Integrated care records
Interoperability – FHIR, HL7, APIs
Technical project management
Business analysis / business cases / options appraisals
ICB and trust digital strategies and plans
Supporting funding and bid applications
Digital technology assessment criteria
Clinical safety compliance DCB0129/DCB0160
Government digital standard
Microsoft Azure cloud services
Umbraco content management system
SQL Server database administrator services.
Digital Innovation Unit products and services
We offer a unique blend of flexible services, with ability to cover broader specialisms collaborating with other subject matter experts from across NHS Midlands and Lancashire, including business intelligence, information management and technology, clinical and so on.
Our services are easy to access – we are part of the NHS and on all the main procurement frameworks.
We provide:
R&D, proof of concepts, digital innovation
Digital leadership / consultancy
Digital strategy development / pathway redesign
Business analysis and transformational change
Agile software development and deployment
Evidence review and evaluation
Digital market development – establishing of commercial relationships to create digital solutions at cale
Innovative digital solutions and deployment
NHS web portal / website production.
Digital Innovation Unit awards and accreditations
HSJ Awards Winner 2016, 2017 and Finalist 2023
West Midlands Academic Health Science Network Innovation Awards Winner 2016 and 2017
ISO 9001 Quality Management
ISO 27001 Information Security Management
ISO 14001 Environmental Management
Cyber Essentials Plus
Excellence in Informatics Level 2
Digital Innovation Unit’s key partners
NHS England – including several national prevention programmes
NHS Activate is a digital communications platform which makes the flow of information between organisations and patients seamless. This leads to better experiences for patients and increased productivity and reduced costs for healthcare providers. It activates the patient to take positive steps to improve their health and care.
Supporting ICSs with approaches to design and deliver effective communication, engagement and behavioural insights as a key enabler for system change and…
Acting as an independent and trusted partner within the system to facilitate working across stakeholders and integrate elements of the provider system…
Digitising care and partnering with systems for the transformation of digitally enabled service delivery (and other supporting processes) across vision, planning and…
Supporting systems to build a sustainable and integrated workforce, transforming systems, organisations and the workforce experience to improve resilience.
Providing end-to-end funded care services, including patients as active partners in identifying their healthcare needs and then commissioning care to meet these.…
Applying intelligence-led understanding of the health of the population to support the redesign of care and improve patient and financial outcomes across…
Supporting providers to work together at a place and neighbourhood level to manage common resources, integrate community teams, improve health and reduce…