Getting your innovation into the market takes time under normal circumstances, particularly in the healthcare sector – but these are not normal times. The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly accelerated healthcare innovation, with MedTech companies leading the way in developing new technologies for use across the globe. But with many businesses moving more slowly at the moment as a result of restrictions, getting your healthcare innovation into the UK market comes with a number of challenges.

1. Finding an entry point and setting up a pilot or collaboration

When it comes to marketing innovation, it can sometimes be more about who you know rather than what you know. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to pick up the phone and get the word out to people about your innovation. Using LinkedIn to make connections is also a great way to boost your profile and ensure you are using your network to its full potential.

To get your healthcare innovation in the UK market, that often means finding a point of entry within the NHS – and it can be difficult to know where to start. According to Gov.Uk, there are five main routes to market for companies interested in supplying the NHS. These include:

• Selling direct to trusts or primary care organisations
• Selling through the new NHS Supply Chain
• National framework collaborations and contracts
• Selling through collaborative purchasing arrangements
• Government tenders and contracts

It is worth noting that it can be easier to connect with a healthcare provider servicing the NHS, whose commissioning rules typically aren’t as strict, rather than going directly to a trust or primary care organisation.

Using my strong network across the UK, Europe and Northern America, I aim to help connect you with people – both in the healthcare sector and beyond – who can truly add value to your business. Get in touch to find out more.

2. Navigating Brexit

Even when the trade deal between EU and UK has been finalised, the conditions trading with UK as a non-EU member are significantly different compared to before. As a result, the custom procedures and the trade deal itself comes with a whole set of rules for the companies to comply with.

Imports and exports between the UK and EU will now be subject to new checks, customs declarations and paperwork. Companies that want to market their products in the UK need to therefore continuously monitor changes to post-Brexit legislation and reformulate their strategies accordingly.

3. Unnecessary competition

The vast majority of healthcare innovators are working for one common purpose – to improve patient health – and lending a helping hand to other businesses bringing products to market will only help to achieve this.

If businesses producing healthcare innovation view one another as competition, it can create unnecessary hurdles in getting important products and services to patients.

Get in touch if you are looking for an access point into the UK Healthcare landscape!

A key element of my consultancy service is helping you to carve out and maintain your position and profile in the market, looking closely at the messages you and your business are putting out there.

For more information about how I could help connect you with the right people, please get in touch.