The Guardian has an article today about Patients Know Best as one of the 25 winners of the Big Venture Challenge. It was a real honour to be included in this list, plus it meant a £25,000 prize and benefiting from the mentoring and network of Unltd and the Lottery Fund.

Over the next couple of months, the matched funding component is allowing us to raise money from social investors, scaling up the company while keeping our focus on patients. The new investors join our existing world class investors, including Esther Dyson (one of the top health IT angel investors in the world), Channel 4 (one of the UK’s largest TV stations) and Seedcamp (Europe’s top seed fund).

Big Venture Challenge winners: Mohammad Al-Ubaydli founder of Patients Know Best (12 of 25)

Meet the 25 winners of the Big Venture Challenge, a scheme to find the most ambitious social entrepreneurs in England

Jo Hill
Guardian Professional, Tuesday 25 October 2011 11.10 BST
Article history

Mohammad Al-Ubaydli Patients Know Best

Big Venture Challenge winner Mohammad Al-Ubaydli Photograph: Big Venture Challenge

In the twelfth of a series of articles on the Big Venture Challenge winners, we introduce today Mohammad Al-Ubaydli founder of Patients Know Best.

Big Venture Challenge is a national programme, run by UnLtd and supported by the Big Lottery Fund, to find 25 of the most ambitious social entrepreneurs in England. The 25 winners all want investment so that their enterprises can deliver social impact on a significant scale. They will each receive a unique package of financial and non-financial support to help them achieve their goals. Meet winner No 12:

Mohammad Al-Ubaydli – Patients Know Best

Who are they?

Mohammad founded Patients Know Best as a patient with a rare disease because he saw the benefits of putting patients in control. He trained as a physician at the University of Cambridge, worked as a staff scientist at the National Institutes of Health, and was a management consultant to US hospitals at The Advisory Board Company.

What do they do?

Patients Know Best (PKB) created the world’s first patient-controlled medical records system. It is used by clinicians at Great Ormond Street Hospital, UCL Hospital, St Mark’s Hospital, Torbay Hospital and across the UK. It is also powering medical research funded by pharmaceutical companies like Novartis. By using the software, the NHS reduces costs, raises quality and puts patients in control of their health.

Why were they selected?

The judges and UnLtd were impressed by Mohammad’s passion, knowledge and commitment. They were also excited by the venture’s potential impact, which could be very significant. It is a pioneering initiative, and the support from Big Venture Challenge could help build its profile.