AN INNOVATIVE private healthcare website has put a young businessman in the running for a prestigious award.

Jannen Vamadeva, 30, of Bengeworth Road, Harrow, is one of eight finalists in the Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, for his creation, Anytime Doctor.

The portal, which is regulated by the Care Quality Commission and has offices in Harley Street, central London, provides email consultations and postal testing kits to more than 2,500 members.

It deals with issues such as hair loss, travel-related illnesses and sexual health.

Four registered GPs work on a rota system to study the questionnaires submitted online and generate, where clinically appropriate, electronic prescriptions that are automatically dispatched to the patient's home by a pharmacy.

Jannen, a former pupil of Westminster School, studied chemical engineering at Imperial College before starting consulting work and trading at investment bank Bear Stearns.

He said: "I wanted to come up with a solution that would help busy people or people with mobility problems, as well as helping the NHS by decreasing waiting times.

"When you're working in the corporate world, it's very hard to see a GP as they close at 6pm or 7pm and I worked until 7pm or 8pm.

"I found out 50 per cent of appointments are for minor medical conditions, so people with more serious medical conditions have a longer waiting time."

Mr Vamadera used his savings to establish the site in August last year and now employs six members of staff.

He said: "I realised there was a gap for treating minor medical conditions online. It's something the government is pushing for. It was a big gamble, but I saw a problem that I really wanted to solve and I really believed in it. It's a very simple system once it's set up."

Each of the finalists in the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award will face two panels of experts that include BBC Dragons' Den judge Duncan Bannatyne and a former winner of The Apprentice, Tim Campbell. The LiveWIRE winner will be announced at a ceremony on October 13, and will take home a £10,000 prize.

Mr Vamadeva said: "Obviously, I'm pleased and honoured to be one of the final eight and we will wait to see what happens."