ONKO secures Innovate UK grant to launch pilot digital cancer treatment platform with the NHS

ONKO, a provider of unified cancer care, has been awarded a significant grant by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, to launch a digital platform for cancer care with the NHS.

The significant five-figure grant will fund a pilot implementation of ONKO’s digital solution, working with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, and was awarded as part of Innovate UK’s call for business-led innovation in response to global disruption.

Cancer care is complex and can be disjointed. ONKO exists to give cancer patients the best possible chance of recovery by delivering unified care, world-class expertise and passionate encouragement to succeed.

ONKO combines digital technology with the support of healthcare professionals to provide patients with personalised expertise from cancer dietitians, physiotherapists, specialist nurses and psychologists.

Based on a proven model that ultimately leads to improved outcomes for patients preparing for, undergoing and recovering from cancer treatment, 95% of people who use ONKO will complete chemotherapy as planned, compared to the 80% completion rate of those who do not and are also three-times less likely to experience post-operative complications (from 60% to 20%).

Krishna Moorthy, Cancer Surgeon and ONKO Co-Founder, said: “This funding will accelerate our ability to get the ONKO platform in the hands of NHS patients and give them the best possible chance of recovery from cancer. We are excited to be working with Imperial on this project and are pleased Innovate UK saw the potential in ONKO to deliver life-changing impact to many.”

Prof Catherine Urch, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust Lead Cancer, said: “We are delighted to partner with ONKO, an incredibly innovative development that will enable thousands of patients to benefit from improved self-management, motivation and well-being, all of which lead to improved outcomes. This approach will completely change care of patients and ensure they are equal partners in their health and wellbeing.”

This funding comes at an incredibly important time for cancer care, with recent figures from NHS England showing major disruption during the pandemic, with the number of people being assessed after referral falling by 60% versus the same time last year.

Speaking on these stark figures, Cancer nurse and ONKO Co-founder, Venetia Wynter-Blyth, said: “We are incredibly concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care, and have been for some time. We have seen first-hand what these figures suggest – that people are not coming forward for treatment even if they become aware of symptoms. The long-term impact of this could be catastrophic and we strongly urge people to get checked if they are concerned.”