NHS Innovation Accelerator announces 2026 fellows at Rewired
- The NHS Innovation Accelerator welcomed its 2026 intake of fellows at Rewired
- Fellows will take part in a three-year initiative to develop solutions tackling the NHS’s biggest challenges
- They will receive expert resources and tools for scaling their innovations
The NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) welcomed its latest intake of fellows at a launch event held at Digital Health Rewired 2026.
The new group of innovators joins a national community committed to supporting the NHS to adopt and spread evidence-based solutions that are already demonstrating impact in practice.
They will take part in a three-year initiative developing solutions to tackle the NHS’s biggest challenges, receiving expert guidance, peer support and access to a network of key stakeholders in healthcare, helping them scale their solutions and drive real-world impact.
Mindy Simon, co-director at NIA, said: “This year’s fellows join us at a pivotal moment for health and care.
“Systems are under sustained pressure, but there is also renewed clarity around national priorities, and the role innovation must play in delivering them.
“The 2026 cohort reflects a decade of learning about what it takes to scale in the NHS: strong evidence, system alignment and collaboration.
“We look forward to working alongside our fellows and partners across the country to ensure proven innovations reach the patients and communities who need them most.”
The 2026 fellows are:
- Abigail Lishman – Dxcover
- Ali Jawad – Pyrexia
- Andrew Darby-Smith – Upskill.Health
- Annie Taylor – RateMyShift
- Anu Balaji Thambi Raja – AlcoChange
- Carl-Magnus von Behr – CompliMind
- Dongli Li – Beautiful Voice
- Elle Clarke – Heim Labs
- Hannah Nearney – Flow Neuroscience
- Hector Smethurst – Appt Health
- Jennifer Turner – S-Press
- Joseph Salem – Oto Tinnitus Pathway
- Laura Corcoran – Miscarriage Collection Cradle
- Majid Akram – vMDT – Virtual MDT platform
- Natasha Davendralingam – Anubix Ltd
- Naveen Keerthi – Doc2UK
- Olivia Collier – Speek
- Pahini Pandya – PANProfiler Colorectal
- Paul Jewell – Assuric
- Pauline Whelan – CareLoop
- Philip Blything – SafeTeam
- Philip Wallek – Tempo
- Ranadip Chatterjee – LocANTS
- Saran Muthiah – EnrichMyCare
The fellows bring forward solutions that respond directly to national and local priorities from prevention and early intervention to elective recovery, mental health, workforce support and long-term condition management.
Each innovation has been selected for its potential to improve outcomes, enhance experience and deliver value for the health and care system.
Jack Porter, co-director at NIA, said: “At a time when the NHS is focused on delivering the ambitions of the NHS 10 year health plan, the need to adopt and spread proven innovation has never been greater.
“The NHS Innovation Accelerator continues to identify solutions that are not only evidence-based, but ready to scale.
“The 2026 fellows represent practical, tested innovations that can support systems to improve outcomes, increase productivity and deliver high-quality care for patients across the country.”
For 10 years, the NIA has identified high-impact innovations, supported their development and connected them with the people and systems ready to embed them at scale.
Chris Laing, chief executive at UCLPartners, said: “We know that innovation is essential to meeting rising demand and tackling the backlog, but innovation must be grounded in evidence and real-world impact.
“I am pleased to see the 2026 cohort bringing forward solutions that support clinicians, strengthen pathways and respond directly to the priorities facing the NHS today.”
NIA alumni include DrDoctor, Patients Know Best, Feebris, TORTUS AI and Nervecentre.
Mindy Simon, co-director of the NIA, and Elina Naydenova, co-founder and chief executive of Feebris joined the Digital Health Unplugged podcast to discuss what it takes to successfully scale innovation in the NHS. Listen here.
