United Kingdom Digital Health Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, And Forecast (2022-2027)

Market Overview

The United Kingdom Digital Health Market is expected to register a healthy CAGR of 15.5% during the forecast period, 2022-2027.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the market in the first and second quarters of 2020, as hospital and clinic operations and visits were significantly reduced due to lockdown and social distancing measures implemented by the United Kingdom’s government, in turn increasing demand, awareness, and acceptance for digital healthcare services. For instance, the article titled "A national survey assessing public readiness for digital health strategies against COVID-19 within the United Kingdom" published in PubMed.gov in March 2021 stated that digital public health approaches to COVID-19 have the potential to marginalize communities within the United Kingdom who are at risk of digital exclusion while also suffering from SARS-CoV-2-related health problems. Moreover, mobile health solutions became a lifeline for consultation, primarily through smartphones and remote monitoring. Several companies entered into the market space to offer digital solutions for combating COVID-19-related illnesses along with monitoring patients' health. For instance, in March 2020, accuRx, a digital healthcare start-up supported by Innovate UK, developed, and launched video consultation software that allowed United Kingdom-based healthcare providers to communicate with their patients remotely, reducing the risk of infection from seeing patients with COVID-19. Thus, the overall impact of the outbreak on the digital health market within the country is likely to remain positive over the forecast period.

In addition, the growth of IoT and technological innovations, rising preference for mobile technology and the internet, and rising demand for population health management are all propelling factors for the digital health market in the country. The growing public awareness for digital health and the rising level of acceptance among healthcare professionals, combined with evidence of the efficacy of using this technology, is expected to result in significant growth for this industry. Additionally, in September 2021, the European Union (EU), four UN agencies (WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNOPS), and Georgia's Ministry of IDPs from Occupied Territories, Labor, Health, and Social Affairs have launched a new telemedicine initiative aimed at reducing the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. Similarly, in November 2021, a medical start-up called Cera established 15 digital healthcare hubs across the United Kingdom to provide telehealth and medication services, equivalent to 1,000 care homes on a daily basis. Cera's technology helps older and vulnerable people stay at home, lowering the risk of hospitalization and freeing up valuable bed space.

Furthermore, the government's support in the form of grants is contributing to the market's long-term growth. For instance, in May 2020, Eurostars Grants worth EUR 2.5 million were awarded to my mhealth and collaborators, a health-tech company based in the United Kingdom, for the development of their project CUOREMA. The goal of the CUOREMA project is to create a new patient-centered cardiac rehabilitation support system.

Additionally, in November 2021, the Digital Health Partnership Award was launched by the NHSX Innovation Development Team. This was created to assist NHS organizations in England in bidding for funding to accelerate the adoption of digital health technologies to support patients with long-term conditions at home. The award brings together key players in the digital health technology for the scaling process. Thus, owing to the abovementioned factors, the market is expected to project growth over the forecast period. However, security concerns regarding patient data will hinder the market's growth in the upcoming future.

Scope of the Report

As per the scope of this report, digital health, which includes digital care programs, is the convergence of digital technologies with health, healthcare, living, and society to enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery and make medicine more personalized and precise. The United Kingdom digital health market is segmented by technology (Tele-healthcare, mHealth, Healthcare Analytics, and Digital Health Systems), and components (software, hardware, and services). The report offers the value (in USD million) for the above segments.

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Key Market Trends

mHealth Segment is Expected to Hold a Significant Market Share Over the Forecast Period

By technology, the mHealth segment is expected to garner a significant market share over the analysis period. mHealth, or mobile health, is the use of mobile and wireless technologies to support the achievement of health objectives. The most common application of mHealth is the use of mobile devices to educate consumers about preventive healthcare services. However, mHealth is also used for disease surveillance, treatment support, epidemic outbreak tracking, and chronic disease management. In 2020, LIVI, the United Kingdom branch of Europe’s largest digital healthcare provider, KRY, announced the launch of a free web-based platform called ‘LIVI Connect’ across Europe that is expected to enable healthcare professionals to connect with remote patients during COVID-19 via video consultations.

Moreover, factors such as the rising burden of chronic diseases, technological advancements, rising public awareness about population health, and government initiatives will drive the market segment's growth. For instance, in April 2021, my mhealth, a United Kingdom-based NHS-approved digital therapeutics company with three European collaborators, was awarded a Eurostars Grant worth EUR 2.5 million for the development of CUOREMA, their innovative program. The CUOREMA project of the Bournemouth-based start-up will focus on the development of a new, patient-centered, and intelligent cardiac rehabilitation support system.

Likewise, in October 2020, in the United Kingdom, Apple Inc. made the health records feature available on iPhones and Apple watches. Additionally, in June 2019, officials in the United Kingdom expanded their library of approved mHealth apps by establishing a digital health portal where developers can submit their platforms for review. Such initiatives are expected to boost the growth of the segment over the forecast period.

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