Nurturing Family Hubs and Empowering Communities.
As we reflect on this past year’s achievements, Anya has stood out as a beacon of innovation and empathy in the parenting and infant feeding world. Supporting Family Hubs in local communities across the country.
Let’s delve into a handful of the key achievements and growth that has defined Anya’s success in supporting Family Hubs in 2023.
About Anya
Anya, a pioneering 24/7 healthcare app trusted by the NHS, became a companion to many families in 2023. The app is available to +5 million families in the UK. Achieved through NHS, Children’s Community Services and Local Authority partnerships across the country. Anya offers unparalleled support for breastfeeding, infant feeding and parenting. Available for parents who would seek the guidance and 24/7, empathetic support of Anya’s expert specialists.
Rebranded to Anya
In January 2023, Anya was born and as a result, we waved goodbye to LatchAid. As a result, along with a vibrant new brand identity and website, Anya has been welcomed warmly into the world of breastfeeding and parenting support.
Anya Joins NHS Innovation Accelerator
In April 2023, Anya joined the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) programme. Through this partnership, specialists have assisted Founder: Dr Chen Mao Davies in scaling up Anya. This has been achieved by NIA experts providing essential knowledge, relationships support and key skills. As a result of the partnership, the NIA provided the opportunity for Dr Chen Mao Davies to speak at The HETT Show 2023, Healthcare Excellence Through Technology.
SBRI Stage 1 Research
In 2022, Anya secured £100,000 in funding through the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) phase 1. The programme is run by the AAC (Accelerated Access Collaborative). This initiative supports innovators in developing disruptive solutions, for unmet health and care needs in the NHS. Anya’s research, concluded in May 2023, played a crucial role in shaping the evolution of our app. Subsequent data reveals the alignment with the socioeconomic parenting groups involved in the original research and the app users now.
Empowering Parents with Personalised Support
Undoubtedly, Anya’s commitment to personalised support and 24/7 accessibility has brought remarkable results in 2023. Summing up, 5,804 families sought guidance from downloading Anya. Concurrently, 95% of parents who took part in our survey, continued to provide breastmilk to their child at 6-8 weeks.
Positive Feedback from Users and Healthcare Professionals
All in all, Anya has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from users, with 91% finding Anya useful and 86% recommending it to other parents. Evidently achieved by the app’s ground up development. Using research to highlight exactly where families need guidance and expanding upon those areas.
“It was hard to find trustworthy breastfeeding advice online and specialists weren’t always available, especially in the middle of the night.. but now I have Anya!”
App user and parent 2023.
Building a Strong Clinical Team:
Firstly, Anya’s clinical success is fuelled by its team of dedicated, qualified infant feeding specialists, lead by Clinical Director, Shel Banks. Shel consequently grew the team by 4 this year, taking us to a total of 9 specialists in 2023.
Furthermore, our infant feeding and parenting specialists are responsible for both writing and monitoring AI and app content. They also play the pivotal role in supporting parents one-on-one via the app messages too. All things considered, their personalised interactions with parents and the power of technology, creates a dynamic support system.
“We’re confident that Anya is influencing more people to access evidence-based information and make informed decisions about their infant feeding choices.”
Partner: Vicki Morgan, Blackpool Council, 2023.
AI Revolutionising Parental Support
Anya’s AI proved to be a game changer, handling a staggering 17,040 questions in 2023. This and reduced the need for parents to speak to one-on-one with a specialist by an impressive 15x. The AI, addressed a variety of parental queries around the clock. The most common topics surrounded hospital bag packing, antenatal advice on feeding, newborn care, and recovery after birth or C-section. Remarkably, 99.98% of parents felt their queries were resolved by the AI. And 94.4% of AI chats required no human intervention whatsoever. This means that the AI was handling queries with 94.4% efficiency.
Expanding Horizons in 2024
As 2023 comes to close, Anya’s dedication towards parents has been nothing short of positive. With a strong foundation of user trust, a thriving clinical team, and an AI system that continues to redefine the way in which parental support can be provided, the company is poised for even greater strides in 2024. Anya is not just a healthcare app; it’s a incredible support system for many users and a testament to the power of innovation in nurturing the well-being of families across the UK.
Here’s to the incredible journey of 2023 and the promising future that lies ahead for Anya!
