Health Innovation Manchester identifies and supports technologies that will help Greater Manchester to improve the health and wellbeing of its 2.8 million residents, and help people stay independent for longer.

With smartphones part of everyday lives, its encouraging NHS organisations across the region to improve services by safely unlocking the potential of health apps by talking with the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA). North West based ORCHA is part of the NHS Innovation Accelerator programme and leads the world in helping health services to safely embed health apps into patient pathways. It’s reviewed around 6,000 apps to date.

Teams across Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and Bolton Royal NHS Foundation Trust today work with ORCHA with dedicated libraries of tested and approved apps that their health professionals can search and prescribe to patients. Teams are using apps in a wide range of services, from occupational health and physio, to community nursing and psychology services.

ORCHA is delighted with the support seen by Health Innovation Manchester and will soon launch further projects with additional organisations across the authority.

Liz Ashall-Payne, ORCHA’s chief executive and NIA Fellow, said: “We can see the passion in the team to make Manchester one of the best places to live in the world. Health Innovation Manchester make a difference in that, connecting us to organisations where there is a real need, where apps will make a difference to patients.”

Find out more about ORCHA on their website.

Find out more about the NHS Innovation Accelerator on their website.