Digital Health Unplugged

Digital Health Unplugged: The role of effective teams in deploying digital platforms in the NHS

In the first episode of a new series for Digital Health Networks members, Jordan Sollof is joined by Dr Lia Ali, Simon Noel and Nick Black to look at the role of effective teams in deploying digital platforms in the NHS, with a particular focus on AI.

The panellists explore the pivotal role of cohesive teams in successfully implementing digital platforms, focussing on AI applications within the NHS, and delve into the synergies between teamwork and the deployment of cutting-edge technology.

They then discuss the importance of collaboration, skill diversity and efficient communication in maximising the benefits for AI for healthcare innovation and patient outcomes before highlighting common challenges in implementing digital platforms in the NHS, such as resistance to change.

Lastly, each guest highlights how they envision the evolution of interdisciplinary collaboration and the deployment of digital platforms within the NHS.

Guests:

Dr Lia Ali, consultant psychiatrist, NHS England transformation directorate clinical advisor and Digital Health CCIO Network Advisory Panel member

Simon Noel, CNIO at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and chair of the Digital Health Network CNIO Advisory Panel

Nick Black, chief digital information officer at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust and Digital Health CIO Network Advisory Panel member

The panellists are speaking in a personal capacity; therefore all views are their own and do not represent the views of their organisation.

 

Digital Health Unplugged: Navigating career paths in NHS leadership

In the second episode of the Digital Health Unplugged Networks series, Jordan Sollof is joined by Shera Chok, Ben Jeeves, Portia Eze and Andrew Griffiths to explore the dynamic landscape of career development in digital health.

The panellists share valuable insights and guidance from their own experience for aspiring digital leaders and give their thoughts on how to navigate opportunities and advancement in digital careers, how to unlock your potential through training, and the power of networking.

They then share some success stories of individuals who have risen to leadership positions in NHS digital roles, before giving their thoughts on Digital Workforce Strategy and what they hope will be in it, with its publication expected imminently.

Guests:

Dr Shera Chok, non-executive director at London Ambulance Service NHS Trust and co-founder and chair of The Shuri Network

Ben Jeeves, associate CCIO at Midlands Partnership NHS FT and Digital Health Network CCIO Advisory Panel member

Portia Eze, operational planning analyst at King’s College Hospital NHS FT and member of cohort one of Future Digital Leaders group

Andrew Griffiths, chief executive of FedIP

The panellists are speaking in a personal capacity; therefore all views are their own and do not represent the views of their organisation.

 

Digital Health Unplugged: Developing the next generation of NHS CIOs

On the latest episode of the Digital Health Unplugged Networks series, which is focused on developing the next generation of NHS chief information officers (CIOs), Jordan Sollof is joined by Abigail Harrison and Adam Ansell.

The pair discuss what is needed to become an effective health CIO and how they envision the role of the NHS CIO changing and evolving in the next decade.

They then highlight some strategies and initiatives to attract and retain top talent before suggesting how to better support the development of a diverse pool of digital leaders, ensuring representation from various backgrounds and perspectives.

Lastly, the panellists shine a light on some effective approaches and programmes for mentoring and developing emerging leaders in healthcare technology, specifically aimed at preparing them for the role of a CIO within the NHS.

Guests:

Abigail Harrison, chief digital and infrastructure officer at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Adam Ansell, digital innovation programme manager at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

The panellists are speaking in a personal capacity; therefore all views are their own and do not represent the views of their organisation.

 

Digital Health Unplugged: Community nursing - nursing in the digital age

Joining Jordan Sollof on the latest Digital Health Unplugged Networks series episode are Helen Crowther, Ynez Symonds and Ian Bailey, in what is a continuation of the Rewired 2024 session ‘Community nursing – nursing in the digital age’.

The session at Rewired explored how digital is being approached from different areas of the community including adult social care, GP, district nursing, and primary care.

The panellists highlight the main areas of the discussion in Birmingham that resonated with them and their key takeaways, before explaining how work from a national perspective is going to support the increase of CNIOs in community settings, of which there are only six currently.

The trio then discuss the benefits of digital nursing networks, and each give their take on what is next in terms of leading and driving change in community nursing.

Guests:

Helen Crowther, national digital primary care nurse lead, Digital Primary Care and CNIO Office at NHS England

Ynez Symonds, chief nursing information officer (CNIO) AT Solent NHS Trust

Ian Bailey, senior clinical director at EMIS and district nurse and Queen’s nurse

The panellists are speaking in a personal capacity; therefore all views are their own and do not represent the views of their organisation.

 

Digital Health Unplugged: The alternative approach to EPR implementation

In the latest episode of the Digital Health Unplugged Networks series, Jordan Sollof is joined by Mark Hutchinson, vice-president of healthcare strategy and transformation at Altera Digital Health, to talk all things electronic patient records (EPRs).

Hutchinson discusses the traditional ‘big bang’ approach to EPR deployment before explaining how Altera offers a different way of implementing the system in a modular approach.

He then gives his take on whether we will fulfil the national EPR mandate before giving his holistic view of the current UK EPR market and whether it will be dominated by the big players or expand to welcome an even bigger pool of suppliers of varying sizes.

Lastly, Hutchinson gives some top tips for an organisation deploying or configuring their EPR system, having experienced multiple EPR implementations in the NHS, and what the future direction of EPRs is overall.

Guest:

Mark Hutchinson, vice-president of healthcare strategy and transformation at Altera Digital Health

 

Digital Health Unplugged: How digital maturity can help close the NHS' ten-year divide

In an episode brought to you in partnership with Virgin Media O2 Business, Jordan Sollof is joined by Mark Burton, the company’s health and social care lead, to discuss digital maturity across the NHS and how it can help close the NHS’ ten-year divide.

Burton analyses the current state of digital maturity across the NHS, the challenges integrated care boards are facing with integrating and using their data, and the impact on both staff and patients.

He then highlights how technology can be used to help close the digital divide across the NHS and what the role of private and public partnerships is to achieve this goal.

Digital Health would like to thank its partner for this episode Virgin Media O2 Business, a customer-first organisation that brings mobile and fixed connectivity services together in one place.

Guest:

Mark Burton, health and social care lead at Virgin Media O2 Business

 

Digital Health Unplugged: Chris Chaney talks Rewired Pitchfest

Jordan Sollof is joined by Chris Chaney, chief executive of CW+, the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to talk all things Digital Health Rewired Pitchfest.

Chaney, who will once again be part of the judging panel for Pitchfest 2025 announced recently, talks about some success stories that have come from the annual competition for start-ups and how it has been a platform for companies to go on and achieve big things.

He then explains what makes a perfect pitch and what exactly the judges are looking for, before highlighting why start-ups should apply for the next edition.

Rewired Pitchfest is an annual competition for startups, offering them the chance to pitch in front of a live audience of NHS leaders, investors and industry peers.

The winners will gain access to expert advice from CW+ and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s CW Innovation team, and the potential to run a project in the trust.

The live Pitchfest finals will take place in the Start-Up Zone at Rewired 2025, at the NEC in Birmingham, 18-19 March 2025.

Applications for Pitchfest close on 23 August 2024. Rules and judging criteria can be found here.

Guest:

Chris Chaney, chief executive of CW+, the Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity

 

Digital Health Unplugged: Taking a stand against racism in digital health

Tammy Lovell is joined by Victoria Betton, director at Peopledotcom and Hassan Chaudhury, commercial director at DATA-CAN, to talk about how to overcome racism and discrimination in the digital health sector.

Along with NHS doctor Ayesha Rahim, Betton and Chaudhury are founders behind the creation of an Equity Charter, which aims to put anti-racism guiding principles for the sector in place.

In the podcast, they discuss how the idea for the charter was formed at Digital Health Rewired in March 2024, following racist remarks made by TPP founder Frank Hestor, reported in The Guardian.

This led Rahim, Betton and Chaudhury to publish an open letter online condemning racism and discrimination in digital health, which has had more than 1,000 signatories.

In July 2024, the three founders held a summit at The King’s Fund in London, attended by around 30 stakeholders, to discuss what should be included in an Equity Charter.

In the podcast, the pair discuss how the views expressed by NHS suppliers can affect patient care and what needs to happen to make sure that everyone in the supply chain adheres to equality, diversity and inclusion policies.

Chaudhury also highlights how anti-racism in digital health goes further than procurement, and why some NHS organisations and employees are choosing to leave X because it no longer aligns with their values.

You can find out more about the Equity Charter and sign here.

Guests:

Victoria Betton, director at Peopledotcom

Hassan Chaudhury, commercial director at DATA-CAN and head of commercial at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust

 

Digital Health Unplugged: Why the NHS is so difficult to sell to

Jordan Sollof, reporter at Digital Health News, is joined by Lloyd Price and Mohammad Al-Ubaydli to talk about procurement and why the NHS is so difficult to sell to.

From their own experience, Price, a healthtech founder, mergers and acquisitions advisor and non-executive director for various digital health companies, and Al-Ubaydli, founder and chief executive of digital health social enterprise, Patients Know Best, shine a light on the main issues that can make selling to the NHS a challenge.

The pair discuss success stories of startups which have successfully sold to the NHS, before assessing whether companies and suppliers need to take more care in ensuring they are pitching the right solution to the right organisation.

They give their views on whether the NHS procurement process has become overcomplicated, a point raised in a session at Rewired 2024, and speculate whether the forthcoming Procurement Act (which was originally due to come into force in October 2024, but has been delayed until February 2025) will solve some issues and make it easier for those selling in the health technology sector.

Finally, the guests predict what they anticipate will happen in the coming months and years, including whether the NHS will become a simpler system as a whole to sell to or if we will still be having the same conversation about difficulties selling in a few years’ time.

Guests:

Lloyd Price, health tech founder, mergers and acquisitions advisor and non-executive director for various digital health companies

Mohammad Al-Ubaydli, founder and chief executive of Patients Know Best

 

Digital Health Unplugged: Darzi report news team debrief

The Digital Health news team gathered for the latest episode of Unplugged to dissect what Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the state of the NHS has to say about digital and tech.

The report, published on 12 September 2024, says that the NHS is in “serious trouble” and highlights “worrying health inequalities” and a deterioration in the health of the nation.

The news team debate Lord Darzi’s view that the last decade has been a missed opportunity to prepare the NHS for the future and embrace technologies that would enable a shift in the model from ‘diagnose and treat’ to ‘predict and prevent’.

They also discuss the idea that tech needs to be better utilised to shift care out of hospitals and into the community and the importance of getting the basics right first through focusing on core infrastructure and hardware.

The view that the NHS App has yet to reach its potential is discussed before the team look ahead to the autumn budget and speculate whether the Labour government will commit to £3.4 billion of investment in NHS digitisation announced by the former government in March 2024.

Read Digital Health News’ coverage of the Darzi report, including industry reactions here.

Panel:

Jordan Sollof, podcast host and news reporter at Digital Health

Jon Hoeksma, chief executive at Digital Health

Tammy Lovell, news editor at Digital Health

Thelma Agnew, features editor at Digital Health