In the July issue of our Life Sciences Newsletter, partner Jamie Foster chats with our client, Dr Suhel Ahmed, founder and driving force behind ADDVantage Technologies, which specialises in the consultancy and delivery of technology solutions in the healthtech space, including alldayDr and healthya. Suhel Ahmed is a Doctor of Medicine (MD), MBChB Medicine (Hons), University of Liverpool 1997 – 2002.

JF: Good to catch up with you again, Suhel and to find out more about alldayDr, your breakthrough service. You say you’re “on a mission to disrupt the way healthcare is delivered in the UK”. Can you explain how the service works and where the idea came from?

SA: Thanks Jamie, good to chat with you again. We started alldayDr back in 2016 after I’d spent 15 years working as a full-time GP in the NHS and seeing how frustrated patients become by long wait times. The alldayDr app gives patients the ability to see a high quality GMC-registered GP from anywhere at any time. We understand that people’s time is precious so through our secure, fast and reliable technology, we give people the platform to see a doctor and be treated within minutes.

JF: How does the alldayDr model work?

SA: AlldayDr is targeted at companies that want to create a healthier, more productive workforce. With the average appointment taking 4.5 hours out of the working day, alldayDr greatly reduces the desk hours lost by enabling the patient to book a 15-minute video consultation they can take in the privacy of a meeting room. It’s like having an actual doctor in the office with you and it allows employees to get treatment faster, which in turn helps retain a high quality, happy, healthy workforce. Our services are provided by the best UK GMC-registered GPs. We use a consultative approach to work out the best approach for each individual organisation, building a bespoke offer to suit their needs as well as the needs of their employees.

JF: What services can patients access via alldayDr and what differentiates the service from other remote access services?

SA: We work with a range of partners to provide everything from health checks and one-off consultations and prescriptions to a full ‘health kiosk’ service. The latter is an effective and affordable solution for companies looking to support their employees in leading healthier lives while minimising the disruption of physical doctors’ appointments and periods of sick leave. It’s a secure, fast and reliable healthcare service using cutting-edge technology.

JF: Clearly, the pandemic accelerated adoption of technology by both the NHS and private healthcare sector, but how did it affect your business? 

SA: Tech is at the forefront of everything we do and we are experts in our field. Because of that, we’ve been able to support all our partners in adopting technology as quickly and smoothly as possible to ensure there was never a drop in the service we offer.

JF: The Priory deal is hugely exciting – how did that come about?

SA: The Priory partnership came about when we attended a trade show in London. We met the team from the Priory there and subsequently worked with them to build out the partnership and tailor our product to suit their exact needs and requirements.

JF: Generally, would you say you adapted to take advantage of the situation or was it a fortunate matter of right place, right time?

SA: As I said earlier, we’re a tech company first and foremost and we endeavour to empower people to manage their own healthcare at any time and any place. Everything we do has that in mind. We partner with healthcare professionals to bespoke our platforms to suit their needs.

JF: Tell us a bit more about healthya and where you see that business going?

SA: Healthya is our newly launched app specifically for the NHS, which is approved via the GPIT Futures, DPS and more recently the DFOCVC framework. Our team has almost 200 years of combined NHS experience within both medical and strategic roles, so we understand the need for a digital, highly scalable, solution that can be adopted by both primary and secondary care. The clinician and admin portals give the healthcare provider full control while the app also gives the patients the ability to watch their appointment back and check back in with the healthcare professional after the session.

JF: How did Hill Dickinson help you?

SA: Hill Dickinson’s Health and Life Sciences team helped us negotiate our contract with the Priory, which was complex given the ground-breaking nature of the deal. We also have great support from the Corporate team, and the firm is supporting us on other opportunities going forward .

JF: Where do you see the business in five years’ time?

SA: ADDVantage Technologies is the parent company of alldayDr and we have since launched a number of brands under the ADDVantage Technology umbrella: alldayDr, APPLocum, healthya and iMS systems, each of which provides a range of bespoke digital solutions for the healthcare market. We know the demand for our services is there, so we’re excited to see where the next five years will take us.

JF: Finally, tell us a little about you and what drives you.

SA: I’m driven primarily by a desire to improve people’s health but also to support the NHS over the coming years as its need for digital change happens. I’m a ‘people person’ and I not only want to provide our clients with a great service but create a company my teams are proud to work for and be a part of. Our values are at the core of everything we do and we hope that shows through in the service and products we offer.

JF: How do I find and download the apps?

SA: Our apps are free to download and are available from the App Store and Google Play Store.

AlldayDr can be contacted on: +44 (0)20 8016 6020 and by email at partnerships@addvantage-technologies.co.uk.