From a loved medical device to a strategic NHS pipeline

What happens when you create a product that patients genuinely love? It's a fantastic position for any medical device company. This was the exact situation for a client of ours in the neurology space. They had developed a brilliant device, supported by strong clinical evidence showing significant symptom improvement. Patients and their carers who could afford to buy it out of pocket were advocates.

This is a success story, but one with a ceiling.

The direct to consumer model, while validating the product's appeal, limited both patient access and the company's own growth ambitions. To make a real impact on a national scale, they needed to sell to and through the NHS.

The question was not if, but how. How could they navigate the complexities of the NHS to ensure successful, widespread adoption?

This is where our collaboration began. My goal was to provide them with a clear, actionable blueprint for NHS market entry. We worked together to transform their ambition into a tangible strategy.

Clarifying the value and point of entry

First, we went back to basics to confirm the product's unique selling proposition. We conducted in-depth interviews with current users, healthcare professionals, and patients who were not using the device. This 360-degree view provided invaluable insights. It allowed the company to refine the device, improve the app's functionality, and design a support infrastructure that truly met user needs. These conversations also helped us identify and engage key opinion leaders (KOLs).

Quantifying the market

An idea is not a business case until the numbers support it. We moved on to map the true market potential. Our analysis quantified the total, serviceable, and addressable market (more on market sizing here), the segment they could realistically serve, and the share they could target in the near term. We projected this over ten years, creating clear market penetration scenarios. This gave the leadership team and investors a grounded understanding of the commercial opportunity and the strategic options available to capture it.

Defining the route to market

We identified and costed routes to market across consumer, B2B, and NHS channels. The analysis led to a set of complementary services to strengthen the overall value proposition. We also developed pricing packages tailored to each segment, balancing competitiveness, affordability, and payer expectations.

Building a focused adoption pipeline

With a strong offer in place, we needed to define where to start. A systematic analysis identified geographical areas and specialist centres with high patient numbers through prevalence and incidence data sets. These locations provided the ideal environment for initial pilot projects and wider adoption. To support this outreach, we created a tailored set of arguments for each key stakeholder group (HCPs, patients, providers, commissioners). This ensured the team could articulate the benefits clearly, whether speaking to a clinician, a patient, a hospital manager, or a commissioner.

Setting the roadmap for growth

Through a series of workshops, we shaped an 18-month roadmap with clear milestones, ownership, and success measures. This positioned the company for its next phase of growth.

The result for my client

The client emerged from our partnership not just with a plan, but with clarity and confidence. They had a deep understanding of their market, a robust value proposition, and a clear, prioritised strategy to achieve a successful and commercially sustainable entry into the NHS.

If your organisation faces a similar challenge in turning a great product into an health system success story, let's talk about building your blueprint.