A health service partner believes that the opening of applications next week for an initiative designed to mould NHS innovators represents a crucial step towards more sustainable healthcare

InnoScot Health insists the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (CEP) can turn ambition into action — and with the application window coinciding with Global Entrepreneurship Week (17-23 November), there is plenty of vital inspiration available to help kickstart the process.

The formal NHS Scotland partner says CEP is “exactly the type of initiative which Scottish healthcare needs to overcome challenges,” with a new cohort of innovators able to apply from Monday 3 November, while Entrepreneurship Week can simultaneously help to inspire and empower them.

The week is now celebrated in 180 countries, impacting over 10 million people per year — and CEP embodies its key values of collaboration and belief in the collective power to create something beyond the limits of what can be achieved in isolation.

Scotland’s healthcare innovators are invited to apply to be part of CEP with those selected enjoying the benefits of mentoring, education, and access to powerful networks to help bring their ideas to life.

InnoScot Health is part of a collaborative group of organisations — alongside The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), NHS Education for Scotland (NES), Techscaler, Scottish Enterprise, and Chief Scientist Office (CSO) — supporting Scottish participation.

CEP is the biggest entrepreneurial workforce development programme of its kind. Started in 2016, it is open to both clinical and non-clinical NHS staff — including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, managers, and support staff. It aims to:

• Allow entrepreneurs and creative thinkers to pursue their innovation without having to leave NHS Scotland
• Successful applicants start on the programme each spring following a ‘Big Pitch and Welcome Event’
• Support the healthcare workforce to develop and scale their most innovative ideas for the benefit of patients, staff and the wider health service
• Develop the skills, knowledge and experience needed to successfully develop and spread innovative solutions to the challenges facing NHS Scotland
• Provide a wider benefit to economic growth through inward investment in the health, social care and life science sectors

InnoScot Health’s Head of Innovation Commercialisation, Gillian Henderson said: “Global Entrepreneurship Week has come at an appropriate time with its theme of ‘Together we build’.

“Through our support for CEP, we want to build NHS pioneers and problem solvers, empowering them to reach out and develop bold ideas which improve patient care, health outcomes, and system efficiency.

“CEP aims to provide the commercial skills, experience, and knowledge to accelerate innovations in healthcare. No one in Scottish healthcare with great ideas for improvement should feel unsupported in realising their ambitions.

“The programme provides that support and is exactly the type of initiative which Scottish healthcare needs to overcome challenges and bottlenecks.”

Gillian added: “We firmly believe that innovating from within and harnessing the vast expertise inherent in the workforce is the best possible way for the NHS to move forward and embrace change.”