Have you ever thought, “there must be a better way”? If living with a stoma or internal pouch has sparked an idea that could make life easier for others, the NHS wants to help you make it happen.

Applications are now open for the NHS Patient Entrepreneur Programme (PEP), a free 12-month programme for patients and carers in England who are developing innovations based on their lived experience.

Many practical improvements in care begin when a patient spots what is missing. This programme exists to help you turn that insight into real change.

About the Opportunity

The PEP is part of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (CEP), one of the world’s largest programmes for developing healthcare innovators. Launched in 2016 and delivered by Anglia Ruskin University, the CEP is now in its 11th year and has supported more than 1,800 innovators across the UK.

As a patient entrepreneur, you’ll learn how to develop, test and grow your innovation, with expert guidance and a community of fellow innovators behind you. Throughout the year, the support is built around your needs as a patient or carer, so your experience stays at the centre of what you create.

Olivia Burns knows this first-hand. Born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, she joined the first cohort of the Patient Entrepreneur Programme with an idea shaped by years in hospital. Today she is founder and CEO of Hypoplas, which has redesigned the hospital gown with patient dignity at its heart. Watch her story below:

Could this be you?

If living with a stoma or internal pouch has sparked an idea, this could be the year to take it further. To find out more about the programme, visit the Patient Entrepreneur Programme website.

Applications close at 4pm on Friday 20 November 2026.

If you have any questions, contact the CEP team at [email protected].