Digital Hackathon – Integrated Care Academy

Insight 

In November 2025, the Integrated Care Academy (ICA) partnered with Health Innovation East and Cogniss to host a dynamic Digital Hackathon aimed at empowering frontline professionals and individuals with lived experience to co-create digital health solutions. 

Using the Cogniss no-code platform, participants rapidly developed smartphone or web app prototypes tackling real-world challenges in health and care. The Hackathon brought together teams from across the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System (SNEE ICS), including clinicians, NHS operational staff, academics and community representatives 

Typically, digital transformation in health and care tends towards large-scale commercial solutions that may not always align with, or can be tailored to, local needs, pathways, or budgets. Delivered to help overcome these barriers the Digital Hackathon explored a new model of innovation – one that is; 

• Locally driven – by NHS professionals and patients 

• Technically accessible for all – through no-code development 

• Cost-effective – compared to some commercial alternatives 

• Scalable and sustainable – potentially – across the NHS ecosystem 

Intervention –  the Hackathon 

Participants arrived prepared with ideas, many of which had already undertaken initial coproduction with patients, carers, or colleagues. Ideas were grounded in real-world challenges faced across the health and care system.  

Each team began by refining their challenge statement, clearly articulating the problem they aimed to solve and the impact they hoped to achieve.  

 In a single day, working with Health Innovation East and ICA facilitators participants used the  Cogniss no-code platform to turn their ideas into working digital health app prototypes. 

At the Hackathon’s conclusion, 10 teams pitched app concepts, four of which were selected for further support, development or funding. 

The Hackathons Impact

A winning app was selected, which will receive six months of dedicated support from Cogniss and Health Innovation East including; technical guidance, hosting, DTAC self-certification support, and access to the Cogniss Academy. Further, funding for up to 500 users will help prepare the app for consideration for deployment within local NHS systems. 

Winning App: PelvicPal – a  personalised pelvic health support tool, now receiving six months of dedicated development support. 

Other apps supported by Cogniss and Health Innovation East 

• ADHD Parent Toolkit –  supporting families in Suffolk during long waits for ADHD assessments. 

• G.R.A.I.L: a risk assessment app to support safe self-care, using a structured matrix to evaluate a patient’s risk level on five key dimensions: Goals, Resilience, Adaptability – Integration, Location. 

• Shoulder-to-Shoulder: Life After Baby Loss for Men – a dedicated app offering tailored support for men who have experienced baby loss. 

Next steps

The partnered hackathon model offers a replicable framework in support of sustainable digital innovation programmes. By enabling frontline teams to co-create apps tailored to the pathways they are expert in the approach shapes solutions that are fit-for-purpose and delivering clinical and patient outcomes.