Citizen Care Health Solutions, a Canada-based emerging healthcare startup, is gaining traction with its innovative Point of Care Middleware. Their cloud-based technology connects diagnostic devices used in primary care and NHS Trusts to patient records, streamlining the testing process and improving patient care. By ensuring test results are seamlessly integrated into electronic health records, Citizen Care's solution reduces the need for repeat tests and consolidates device management, significantly easing the administrative workload for healthcare providers.

As Citizen Care began its expansion into the UK market, the team knew that regulatory compliance was non-negotiable. Without the necessary certifications, their groundbreaking technology would face significant barriers to adoption by healthcare providers.

To enter the UK market, Citizen Care needed to meet several essential compliance standards, including the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT), Cyber Essentials, Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC), and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, as a small team with limited resources and no dedicated compliance department, managing these requirements was a daunting task.

While the company had secured external support for US frameworks like HIPAA and SOC, they faced a significant challenge with UK compliance. The cost of hiring consultants was prohibitive, with quotes from consultants ranging from £50,000 to £60,000 - far beyond what the startup could justify. With no dedicated compliance or regulatory team, they needed a solution that was both cost-effective and straightforward.

Citizen Care found their answer with Naq. By leveraging Naq’s platform, the startup was able to streamline its entire compliance process. Naq provided clear, step-by-step guidance to help Citizen Care meet UK requirements, with features like automated document generation that saved the team countless hours of manual work. 

But Naq didn’t just provide a platform - it delivered personalised support. Through ongoing guidance from Naq’s Clinical Safety Officer (CSO) and the Naq team, Citizen Care was able to understand the intricacies of compliance and cybersecurity, which had previously been uncharted territory for them.

Marc Winrow, General Manager of Citizen Care EMEA & Europe, highlighted the impact Naq had on their compliance journey: "The platform very clearly laid out what we needed to do, how we needed to do it.

"Features like auto document generation made my life infinitely easier. I had no regulatory or compliance team, and hiring external consultants would have cost us at least £50,000 - £60,000. The guidance we got from the Naq team was really helpful throughout the process."

Beyond just meeting compliance, the Naq platform also gave the startup the tools to respond confidently to customer queries about cybersecurity and governance. With access to their compliance status through Naq’s platform, customers could rest assured that Citizen Care met all regulatory standards, building trust from the outset.

With Naq’s support, Citizen Care achieved certifications for DSPT, Cyber Essentials, and GDPR in just a few months, positioning them for successful market entry in the UK. The streamlined compliance process allowed the startup to confidently pursue its UK market entry while saving significant resources, allowing them to avoid the prohibitive costs of hiring external consultants.

With compliance in place, Citizen Care Health is now turning its attention to ISO certification, using Naq to continue building on its regulatory success. As the company grows, it’s better equipped to tackle new markets and meet future compliance challenges head-on.