Digital Health has launched a new podcast, with the first taking place at Summer Schools 2019 in the form of a panel discussion. Key themes included the highlights of Summer Schools, the launch of the Shuri Network – the first NHS network for BME women in digital health, and the importance of networking and sharing ideas among colleagues.

In Digital Health's second podcast we chat to the winners of Hack Day at Summer Schools, Hear My Record, about their idea to link medical records with Amazon Alexa. Pitched by Kev Hamer, Matt Beedle and Paul Gisborne of the My Medical Record team at University Hospitals Southampton, the innovation allows patients to manage their own healthcare from checking lab results to booking appointments.

This month's Digital Health Podcast with the Shuri Network explores the need for diversity in digital health and what needs to be done to encourage more women to take up IT roles in the NHS. Founders of the network Dr Shera Chok and Sarah Amani joined the panel, along with Dr Ayesha Rahim, CCIO at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust and Professor Joe McDonald, executive director of Connected Health Cities and the former chair of the Digital Health CCIO Network.

This month’s Digital Health Podcast explores the need for accelerator programmes and the challenges start-ups and SMEs face with turning their innovation from a working concept into reality.

It features DigitalHealth.London’s accelerator programme director Sara Nelson, Infinity Health’s chief executive Elliot Engers and Vine Health’s co-founder and chief executive Dr Rayna Patel.

Joining Andrea Downey on this month's podcast to discuss how trusts can encourage and support innovation is Chris Chaney, chief executive of Chelsea and Westminster’s charity CW+, Sunita Sharma, an obstetrician and gynaecologist who developed the Mum & Baby app which links women to maternity services and Tom Newsom-Davis, a consultant oncologist who leads on the acute diagnostic oncology clinic at Chelsea and Westminster.

Our first podcast for 2020 has a fresh new look - we will now be publishing fortnightly! Alongside our usual panel discussions with industry experts, we will also be hosting debriefings with the Digital Health news team, looking at the biggest stories of the month. This week's podcast is our first news debriefing with Hannah Crouch, Digital Health's editor; Owen Hughes, senior reporter; Andrea Downey, senior reporter; and Jon Hoeksma, editor in chief.

Ever wondered how beer and pizza could hold the key to scaling innovation in the NHS? Our latest Digital Health Unplugged unpacks that, and much more. Joining Andrea Downey for this week's podcast are two speakers confirmed for Digital Health Rewired 2020: Ross Fullerton, director of strategy and technology for London Ambulance Service; Tom Whicher, founder of DrDoctor; and Jon Hoeksma, Digital Health's editor-in-chief.

NHSX cheif executive Matthew Gould joins Andrea Downey on this week's podcast to talk funding, technology, standards and provide an update on NHSX's core commitments. Gould gives us a look into how the newly announced £40m funding for improved login times will be allocated; what the Digital Aspirant programme will entail; and how organisations like NHSX will set out "what good looks like" through standards that will feed into how the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will begin to assess digital capabilities.

This week's Digital Health Unplugged focuses on the biggest headlines at Digital Health News this month. Join us as Digital Health's editor, Hannah Crouch, editor-in-chief Jon Hoeksma and senior reporter Andrea Downey discuss the news Epic has reportedly told it's customers it will stop working with Google Cloud; the Department of Health and Social Care's new £140 artificial intelligence award; and the possibility of NHSX setting a minimum spend for technology.

Digital Health Rewired has come and gone for another year, with some 1,800 people attending the event. A key theme at this year's Leadership Summit and Expo was diversity, inclusion and representation, and Digital Health Unplugged hosted its first, but certainly not last, all-women panel discussion.

Joining host Andrea Downey to talk about all things Rewired, leadership and diversity were:

• Prof Julia Riley, clinical lead at Coordinate My Care and consultant in palliative medicine at the Royal Marsden NHS Trust
• Yinka Makinde, programme director DigitalHealth.London
• Mandy Griffin, CIO at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS FT
• Natasha Phillips, CNIO at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and newly announced CNIO for NHSX

Our latest Digital Health Unplugged news team debrief is now live, looking at the biggest stories of the last month.

Join our news team as we discuss the biggest stories of the month on Digital Health Unplugged. This month we look at coronavirus and the Digital Aspirants.

Digital Health Unplugged is bringing you a special edition of the podcast this week, focusing on coronavirus and the response from the NHS and suppliers on the ongoing outbreak. Join our news team, editor Hannah Crouch and senior reporters, Andrea Downey and Owen Hughes, as they talk through the Covid-19 stories making headlines for us.

Host Andrea Downey, chief strategy officer for Servelec Garry McCord, co-founder of Locum's Nest Dr Nicholas Andreou and board member for Health Education England Dr Harpreet Sood, discuss how digital tools can be used to ease pressure on the NHS.

The panel also looks at the importance of electronic patient records and upskilling the workforce.

Contact-tracing apps are a main focus of developers and health authorities across the globe in the face of Covid-19. Join senior reporter Andrea Downey, editor Hannah Crouch, and editor-in-chief Jon Hoeksma as we discuss the development of contact-tracing apps and the impact they're likely to have.

Join host and senior reporter Andrea Downey, alongside Hamza Drabu, commercial law partner at health and social care law firm DAC Beachcroft; Darryn Hale, senior associate, DAC Beachcroft; and Phil Booth, coordinator, privacy group medConfidential, as they discuss concerns around using patient data to trace corornavirus and the steps the NHS needs to take to ensure privacy.

In this episode our news team take another look at the NHS contact-tracing app, following it's launch of the Isle of Wight.

Join senior reporter Andrea Downey, editor Hannah Crouch, and editor-in-chief Jon Hoeksma as they look at the whether the app will be successful, if NHSX has taken the right approach, and the continuing concerns around contact-tracing.

Tools for digital mental health care have been around for a number of years but since the onset of Covid-19, like many other services, mental health care has had to fast-track the tech.

Hear from Dr James Reed, psychiatrist and CCIO Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Prof. Joe McDonald, psychiatrist and medical director at Sleep Station on how the service has coped, the benefits of digital tools and how trusts can prepare for a digital future.

Join senior reporter Andrea Downey, editor Hannah Crouch and editor-in-chief Jon Hoeksma as they discuss the National Audit Office’s report into the state of digital services across the NHS in England. The report found local NHS organisations are facing “significant challenges” when it comes to working towards digital transformation.

Join senior reporter Andrea Downey, editor Hannah Crouch, and editor-in-chief Jon Hoeksma as they look at the reasons behind the U-turn, the £11.8 million cost and when an app might be rolled-out nationally.

Host Andrea Downey chats to Tom Whicher, founder of DrDoctor, and Graham Kendall, director of the Digital Healthcare Council, about the backlog of appointments left over from Covid-19 and the role technology has to play in easing pressure on the NHS.

One year after the Shuri Network was launched they returned to Digital Health Virtual Summer School to provide an update on what they've achieved over the last 12 months and what their plans for the future are. Tune in to hear from co-founders Dr Shera Chok and Sarah Amani, along with a live panel discussion with Network members.

Join Digital Health's editorial team, senior reporter Andrea Downey, editor Hannah Crouch, editor-in-chief Jon Hoeksma as they look at what's making headlines at the moment.

This episode they look at the use of digital services in primary care and whether or not they're here to stay after the Covid-19 pandemic is over.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he wants GP services to be teleconsultations first, but the Royal College of GPs said remote services won't work for everyone.

This episode of Digital Health Unplugged looks at the use of technology in care homes and its importance during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Join host Andrea Downey with Mandy Thorn, chair of Marches Care which owns care home The Uplands in Shropshire,  Carey Bloomer, managing director of The Uplands, and Keith Strahan, principal clinical lead for NHS Digital’s social care programme as they look at the importance of digital solutions in the adult care sector.

In this episode of Digital Health Unplugged we take a look at the electronic patient record contracts signed with Epic this year. Join host Andrea Downey along with editor Hannah Crouch and editor-in-chief Jon Hoeksma as they look why Epic are having a resurgence in the NHS.

Our expert panel look at why access to data during the pandemic was important and whether Covid-19 has permanently changed the country's relationship with data.

Host Andrea Downey is joined by:

• Caroline Cake, chief executive of Health Data Research UK
• Cathie Sudlow, director of British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre, and consultant stoke neurologist in Edinburgh
• Dr Ami Banerjee, associate professor in clinical data science and consultant cardiologist at University College London Hospitals and Barts NHS Trusts

Senior reporter Andrea Downey and editor Hannah Crouch, are joined by James Reed, CCIO at Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and chair of Digital Health’s CCIO Network, and Dermot O'Riordan, CCIO at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. The team look at the launch of the NHS Covid-19 App, the features that work well and the features that might not.

The latest Digital Health Unplugged looks at the importance of collaboration between suppliers and the benefits it brings the digital health market. Joining host Andrea Downey is David Hancock healthcare executive advisor InterSystems and vendor co-chair of INTEROPen, and Daniel Nathrath, co-founder and chief executive of Ada Health.

Going forward we will be inviting members of our Digital Health Advisory Panel to take part in our news team debriefs, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Our Advisory Panel is made up of elected members from our Digital Health Networks, a community of digital health leaders dedicated to collaboration and sharing best practice.

In our latest news team debrief our editorial team - host Andrea Downey, editor Hannah Crouch and editor-in-chief Jon Hoeksma - are joined by two Chief Clinical Information Office (CCI)) Advisory Panel stalwarts Professor Joe McDonald and Dr Marcus Baw.

Joining host and senior reporter Andrea Downey are Gary Jennings, commercial director of Kernow Health CIC, and Ian Nicholls, eHealth transformation manager at Royal Cornwall Hospitals. The testbed programme originally began in primary care through Kernow Health CIC and is now expanding into secondary care through Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust.

In the penultimate episode of the year our expert panel also look at the key achievements made in the sector, the impact of Covid-19 and the way industry and NHS leaders worked together to tackle the pandemic.

In our Christmas Quiz of the Year our Digital Health CCIO, CIO and CNIO Advisory Panels put their knowledge to the test on all things NHS IT in 2020. Our teams were: The Noel-it Alls - CCIO chair James Reed and vice chair Fiona McDonald Too Cool for Yule: CIO chair Adrian Byrne and vice chair Mandy Griffin Sleigh Belles: CNIO chair Jo Dickson and Sara Nelson from the NHSX CNIO team

Have a very Merry Christmas and we hope you'll tune back in in the New Year.

The first Digital Health Unplugged for 2021 is live - this time taking a look at what the year has in store for health technology.

Our expert panel includes:

• Dr Simon Eccles, CCIO at NHSX
• Catherine Dampney, Director of BI Innovation and Transformation at NHS South, Central and West
• Adrian Byrne, CIO University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and chair of the Digital Health CIO Network
• Jon Hoeksma, editor-in-chief of Digital Health

Our latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged takes a look at the NHSX programme 'What Good Looks Like' - a programme that aims create a common vision for good digital practice across health and care.

But will it work? Discussing what is needed for the programme to be successful are:

• Jonathan Kay, chair of Faculty of Clinical Informatics
• David Hancock, Healthcare Executive Advisor at InterSystems
• Marcus Baw, GP and member of Digital Health's CCIO Advisory Panel
• Hannah Crouch, editor of Digital Health

Hear from our keynote speaks from our digital transformation of medicine session at Digital Health Rewired 2021, 15-19 March.

- Henrietta Bowden-Jones OBE, consultant psychiatrist - Katerina Spranger, CEO of Oxford Heartbeat - Christian Guttmann, vice president and global head of AI and data at TietoEVRY - Tim Ringrose of the Royal Society of Medicine's Digital Health Council

Our panelists discuss their own experience in using technology to deliver better care for patients, innovating in clinical areas, as well as the role of leadership in digitising medicine.

Last year we recorded an edition of Unplugged with special guest host Hannah Crouch, Digital Health's editor, who invited a panel to discuss whether they think the two organisations should join together.

The panel was made up of, Luke Redman, Regional Director Digital Transformation, NHS London; Philip Graham, Digital Programme Director Blackpool Teaching Hospitals; and Mandy Griffin, Director Digital Health, The Health Informatics Service, as well as senior reporter and regular podcast host Andrea Downey.

Tune in to hear them discuss whether NHS Digital and NHSX should merge.

Members of the Digital Health Advisory Panel, James Reed, CCIO Network chair; Ade Byrne, CIO Network chair; Anne Marie Cunningham of the CCIO Network; and Jon Hoeksma, Digital Health's editor-in-chief, take a look at plans to reform the NHS.

It follows proposed plans for NHSX to be merged into a 'transformation directorate' and a government white paper for health and care that aims to deliver a more joined up health and care system, capitalising on better use of data during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Host Andrea Downey spoke to Helen Milner, CEO Good Things Foundation; Surriya Walters, digital social inclusion outreach manager Good Things Foundation; and Peter Nuckley, deputy director mHabitat about their work with NHS Digital on improving digital participation.

Their work on the 'Widening Digital Participation' programme aimed to identify why technology and digital health solutions have a low uptake, or are unavailable to some communities, and how to address that gap.

This episode takes a look at New Zealand's response to Covid-19 and the lesson learned on that side of the globe. Tune in to hear keynote talks from Digital Health Rewired 2021. You'll hear from:

• Shayne Hunter, deputy director general of data and digital at Ministry of Health New Zealand
• Ruth Large, deputy chair of the New Zealand Telehealth Forum and clinical director of virtual care for Waikato District Health Board
• Nigel Miller, chief medical officer for the Southern District Health Board

Often there is a "power struggle" between clinicians and IT teams over who should be leading the development and implementation of digital and technology programmes, which can lead to a breakdown in working relationships.

Tune in to hear from:

Dr Simon Eccles, NHSX CCIO and deputy CEO Kevin Percival, CNIO at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust and vice chair of the Digital Health CNIO Network Dr Constantin Jabarin, international CCIO for Allscripts

Our expert panel look at how to move beyond the power struggle, why it's important for IT teams and clinicians to work well together, and the untapped knowledge both parties have to offer on new ways of working digitally.

A recent report from the King's Fund found a “lack of clear responsibility” and leadership for digital technology in the NHS has led to a “social care gap” which risks the sector getting left behind.

In the podcast the Digital Health News team and special guest from the Faculty of Clinical Informatics delve into the report and what it means for digital technology in the NHS and social care.

You'll hear from:

• Andrea Downey, host Digital Health Unplugged
• Hannah Crouch, editor Digital Health News
• Jon Hoeksma, editor-in-chief Digital Health
• Jonathan Kay, chair of the Faculty of Clinical Informatics and member of the Digital Health CCIO Network

As more Covid restrictions are eased across England, Digital Health Unplugged asks if the momentum we've seen with digital services during the pandemic can be maintained. Hear from:  • Dr Rishi Das-Gupta, Chief Executive of the Health Innovation Network South London • Ruth Bradbury, Senior Navigator at DigitalHealth.London  • Luke Readman, Regional Director Digital Transformation, NHS England • Aasha Cowey, Programme Manager NHS South, Central and West

In this episode we hear from the four finalists of this year's Digital Health Rewired Pitchfest competition about what it's like being a start-up in the NHS. Guests include: • Dr Mridula Pore – CEO Peppy Health • Dr Dafydd Loughran – CEO Concentric Health • Dr Stephen Katebe – Director Tekihealth Solutions • Dr Ash Kalraiya – CEO MediShout Tune in to hear all about how the pandemic has changed the start-up space and what advice our finalists have for other start-ups working in the NHS.

In this episode we discuss the General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR) and the extension of the deadline for it to come into play.

Hear from: Phil Booth, coordinator, MedConfedential Osman Bhatti, east London GP Anne Marie Cunningham, GP in Wales and CCIO Network member Andrea Downey, senior reporter, Digital Health

Queertech encompasses digital health tools that are designed to be inclusive of the LGBT+ community - both new tools and technology that's been around for a while.

Tune in to hear from:

• Brett Hatfield, NHS Navigator at the accelerator DigitalHealth.London
• Mathew Watt, Senior Delivery Manager of Innovation, NHSX
• Lizzie Streeter, National LGBT programme manager at NHSE
• Paul Gavin, Deputy Director of health inequalities at NHSE

In this episode we take a look at the government's draft data strategy, Data Saves Lives: Reshaping health and care with data.

Tune in to hear more about the strategy from:

• David Hancock, Healthcare Executive Advisor, InterSystems
• Catherine Dampney, Director of BI Innovation & Transformation, NHS South, Central and West
• Monica Jones, Chief Data Officer, HDRUK Hub for Cancer DATA-CAN
• Jon Hoeksma, editor-in-chief Digital Health

Our panel discuss what the strategy got right, what it got wrong, and what it was missing.

Host Andrea Downey chats one-on-one with Liz O'Riordan, consultant breast surgeon and award-winning co-author of 'The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer: How to Feel Empowered and Take Control'.

O'Riordan speaks about her own breast cancer diagnosis in 2015 and her experience of the health system from a patient's perspective.

Despite her work as a breast cancer surgeon, O'Riordan said her experience in the consulting room hadn't prepared her for the experience of being a patient, adding that technology provided access to information when she needed it the most.

In this episode we take a look at Amanda Pritchard's appointment as NHS England's new CEO - and the first female chief executive of NHS England.

Joining host Andrea Downey is: Aasha Cowey, Strategic Transformation Lead at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Will Smart, Global Director External Relations, Dedalus Hannah Crouch, Editor, Digital Health

As well as looking at the significance of digital transformation being in Pritchard's job description, the panel also speak about the significant step forward for female representation in the NHS.

In this episode we take a look at diversity in digital leadership with the Shuri Network. A lot has happened in the last year for the Network, from setting up bursaries for members to join the Faculty of Clinical Informatics (FCI) to establishing a shadowing programme to help younger members learn from those already working in tech in the NHS.

Hear from:

-Nicole Wong, Junior Technical Analyst, Cyber, NHS South, Central and West -Di Bullman, Workstream Lead, Digital Readiness Programme, Health Education England -Rafiah Patel, Chief Digital Ethics & Privacy Officer, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Host Andrea Downey spoke to the interim chief executive of NHS Digital Simon Bolton about his goals for the organisation, building back after Covid-19 and recently set targets around diversity.

Bolton addresses the need for workforce resilience as the NHS recovers from the pandemic, adding that he wants to lead by example in creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.

He also spoke about the need for better collaboration at the centre to streamline communications on digital strategies which he hopes will boost engagement from the frontline.

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have employed four design teams to look at the way tech is used, and received, by the end user.

The aim is to ensure all digital health tools rolled out across the trust are easy to use and provide what the end user, whether that be clinicians or patients, actually need.

Tune in to hear from:

• Helen Potter, head of pathways and EPR development, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
• Nitesh Bali, clinical pathways product manager for digital, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Dione Rogers, CNIO Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Holly Carr, Nurse, a nurse at Sheffield Children's Hospital and Florence Nightingale Fellow at NHSX, have both been diagnosed with dyslexia.

Through their diagnosis and interest in health technology, the two have formed a mentorship to support each other professionally and also personally. In this episode they share their story with host Andrea Downey, including how they use technology to manage their diaries, workload and out of the box thinking - something Carr likens to fireworks.

Earlier this month Digital Health News published a feature speculating about a national deal between NHS England and US electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic began to circulate. 

A decade on from the failed National Programme for IT, rumours of a national EPR deal undoubtedly sparked concern for some.

But what would a national deal with Epic look like, and what implications would that have for the NHS? Tune in to hear from our news team:

• Andrea Downey, senior reporter
• Hannah Crouch, editor
• Jon Hoeksma, editor-in-chief

Digital Health Unplugged makes its long-awaited return with a brand new host, as junior news reporter Jordan Sollof sits down with the chief medical officer at NHS Digital, Professor Jonathan Benger.

Professor Benger reacts to receiving a CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for ‘services to the NHS’ and gives special thanks to his team whilst also previewing his keynote speaker session at Digital Health Rewired 2022.

He finishes the podcast by giving his hopes and predictions for the future in terms of digital transformation and integration in the NHS and looks ahead to what NHS Digital still want to achieve.

Host Jordan Sollof is joined by Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive at NHS Providers, in this week's episode of Digital Health Unplugged.

Cordery discusses the huge success so far of NHS Providers' Digital Boards Programme and looks back on a challenging time for the team during the pandemic. 

The deputy chief executive also looks ahead to her speaker session at Digital Health Rewired 2022 on the Digital Transformation Stage, along with chairing the Digital Boards Panel on the National Policy Stage.

Lastly, Cordery explains how digital and technology can help tackle health inequalities across the UK and looks ahead to what NHS Providers still have to achieve in the coming months and years.

Joining Jordan Sollof on the latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged is Edward St John, consultant breast surgeon and co-founder and chief medical officer of Concentric Health.

St John discusses the origins of Concentric Health, how his path led to starting-up the company with Dr Dafydd Loughran and their early achievements in the first few years of their journey.

He also explains the positive impact of Rewired Pitchfest, after Concentric Health took part in the 2021 competition and reached the final stage and highlights how the experience for the company has opened new doors and opportunities.

Lastly, St John talks post-Pitchfest, including receiving various investments, looks ahead to what Concentric Health want to achieve in the future and encourages start-ups to apply for Pitchfest next year.

Following a successful Digital Health Rewired, Jordan Sollof chats to Dr Rachael Grimaldi, co-founder and CEO of Pitchfest 2022 champions CardMedic, in the latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged.

Grimaldi talks about how and why she founded CardMedic with her husband Tim in the height of the pandemic, their journey with the company so far and the achievements and success they have enjoyed to date.

She then talks about her experience of this year’s Rewired Pitchfest, including what it was like to present online and then in person, how it feels to be the winner and what impact it will have on CardMedic moving forward.

Finally, Grimaldi sets out the short-term and long-term ambitions for the company and their ultimate goal, before giving some top tips and best advice for any start-ups thinking of applying for next year’s Pitchfest.

The Unplugged news team debrief podcast is back – with a new face added to the line-up.

Regular listeners to Digital Health Unplugged will know that junior reporter, Jordan Sollof, took over as the host of our podcast but this time round he appears as a panellist for the news team debrief.

He is joined by host and editor Hannah Crouch and Digital Health’s CEO and editor-in-chief, Jon Hoeksma.

The trio discuss electronic patient records (EPRs) and what the next steps are going to be, as well as the rumours surrounding levelling up and converging of EPRs and a recent Digital Health feature which suggested that 25 of the least digitally mature NHS trusts are to be prioritised for future investment in electronic patient records as trusts are expected to be at the HIMSS Level 5 stage.

The three chairs of the Networks Advisory Panels are the latest guests to join Jordan Sollof on an episode of Digital Health Unplugged.

Ahead of Digital Health Summer Schools 2022, CCIO Chair James Reed, CIO Chair Lisa Emery and CNIO Chair Sarah Hanbridge discuss the purpose and importance of the advisory panels and their roles as chairs. They also share what they think are the main topics in their areas at the moment and what their ambitions are over the next year.

The trio then give their thoughts on the current direction of policy and what one thing they would say to national leaders, before looking ahead to Summer School, which returns to an in-person event for the first time since 2019.

IT and data in primary care is the topic of the next episode of the Unplugged Podcast as we speak to a digitally-minded GP.

Joining Digital Health News’ editor Hannah Crouch on this episode is Dr Hussain Gandhi, or as some of you may know him on Twitter as Dr Gandalf, the Digital and Tech GP.

The pair discuss a range of recent programmes and strategies such as the GP Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR) and the Goldacre Review.

Dr Gandhi also reveals what digital changes he would like introduced.

The first part of our Unplugged podcast series which features some of our 35 under 35 bursary scheme members features Sana Shah, Matthew Lee and Emma Arrowsmith.

The trio discuss the success of this year’s Digital Health Summer Schools and in particular the 35 under 35 session before explaining their aims and ambitions whilst part of the bursary programme and the importance of there being a clear pathway for young people who aspire to have a career in the UK health informatics and digital health sector.

Lastly, they give their best words of wisdom and advice to anyone thinking of applying for a place in a future 35 under 35 scheme or something similar.

The next episode of Digital Health Unplugged takes a look at how a shared domain can impact an Integrated Care System (ICS).

Brought to you in partnership with Oracle Cerner, the episode features James Bird (chief nurse information officer at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust) and Nicholas Ferran (chief clinical information officer at London North West Healthcare NHS Trust).

The pair discuss the impact of a shared domain at an ICS level, reveal insights into the collaboration between trusts and outline the governance structures.

During this podcast, both Bird and Ferran also share lessons learned and discuss what other organisations can learn from and apply to their vision and strategies.

The news team gather in person for the latest episode of Unplugged as they discuss the ongoing Advanced cyber-attack story and the current lack of national policy around cyber defence.

Junior news reporter Jordan Sollof hosts and is joined by editor Hannah Crouch and Digital Health’s CEO and editor-in-chief Jon Hoeksma.

The trio discuss the entire Advanced cyber-attack saga from when the news first broke in early August up until Jon’s most recent stories in October, one of which revealed that client data had been exfiltrated in the attack.

The other highlighted that the NHS is struggling to recover electronic patient records (EPRs) for a group of 12 mental health trusts following the cyber security attack.

The news team then debate whether cyber security is taken seriously enough in the NHS and why there is a lack of movement on national policy.

*This episode was recorded on Tuesday 18 October 2022 and therefore some of the discussion may now seem outdated as the UK has since changed prime minister and health secretary.*

In the final Unplugged of 2022, Digital Health CEO and editor-in-chief Jon Hoeksma hosts a bumper special episode to review the past 12 months in the sector.

Hoeksma is joined by the three chairs of the Networks Advisory Panels – CCIO Chair James Reed, CIO Chair Lisa Emery and CNIO Chair Sarah Hanbridge – as well as Marcus Baw, portfolio GP and clinical informatics and GP IT consultant, and Joe McDonald, retired NHS psychiatrist and peripatetic medical director at Sleepstation, SARD JV, Ethical Healthcare Consulting and Parsek Health.

They each discuss their personal Digital Health highlights of 2022, the most overhyped things this year in the sector, the lowlights and things they would leave behind and 2023 ambitions, plus plenty more.

Thank you to everyone who has listened to Digital Health Unplugged this year, we hope you have enjoyed the episodes and we look forward to more podcasts in 2023!

Digital Health Unplugged is published on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and many of your other favourite podcast platforms. Follow us to stay up-to-date with the latest news.

You can also download the podcast from digitalhealth.podbean.com or through the Podbean app.

Got a podcast suggestion? Email podcast@digitalhealth.net.

In the first Digital Health Unplugged episode of 2023, host Jordan Sollof is joined by an exciting panel to discuss developing informatics skills and capabilities in nurses, midwives and AHPs (NMAHPs).

Louise Hicks, CNIO and director of development at Barts Health NHS Trust, Roda Luz Trinidad, informatics lead nurse at The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, and Robert Waterson, dean for health, sport, and bioscience at the University of East London, drive the discussion.

They look at how developing informatics skills and capabilities impacts careers and development in clinical informatics, the kinds of initiatives currently in place to support NMAHPs and advice for those wanting to develop their skills.

Lastly, the panel discuss the future digital opportunities for digital and clinical informatics learning, and top tips for developing those already in CNIO or similar roles.

In the latest episode of Unplugged, Jordan Sollof is joined by Misbah Mahmood, deputy chief midwifery information officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, to chat about her midwifery career.

After reaching the milestone of 10 years as a qualified midwife, with five of those as a digital midwife, Misbah discusses the importance of digital midwives and the role they play in helping digital transformation in the NHS.

Misbah, who is the first-ever DCMIO at her trust, also talks about how life-changing her involvement in both the Florence Nightingale Digital Leadership Scholarship and the CNIO Network Advisory Panel has been and what her personal ambitions are for the future.

Lastly, Misbah looks ahead to Digital Health Rewired 2023, where she is chairing and speaking in sessions, including a big debate titled ‘What’s in a Name?’ as part of the Digital Nursing Summit.

You can find out what else the Digital Nursing Summit has to offer, as well as the rest of the Rewired 2023 programme, here.

In the first Unplugged episode on chief nursing information officer (CNIO) mentoring, Jordan Sollof chats to Amy Vercell, chief clinical information officer for nursing and AHPs at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, and Peter White, CNIO at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

The pair discuss the importance of mentorship in the nursing profession, particularly in senior leadership roles such as CNIO and CCIO, and how nurses go about finding the right mentor for them.

The discussion then moves onto how CCIOs and CNIOs can balance responsibilities of mentoring whilst managing their own professional development and the common misconceptions they face when it comes to mentoring.

Finally, Amy and Peter give their thoughts on whether there are enough mentorship programmes and clear pathways of support for nurses, before sharing some success stories and examples of how mentoring has helped them or other mentees in their career.

Jordan Sollof is joined by Becca Robinson, digital nurse at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, to discuss the benefits and positive career impacts of the 35 under 35 bursary programme, which Becca was a part of last year.

Becca explains why she applied for the programme, her experiences of it, which included a paid-for place at Digital Health Summer Schools, and how it opened up new career opportunities and prepared her for the new role she has been offered at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust.

Becca then talks about transitioning from a staff nurse to a digital nurse before giving valuable advice to fellow young professionals who are considering applying for the now renamed Future Digital Leader programme.

The programme provides a year’s membership to one of the FEDIP Professional Bodies and paid-for places at the Digital Health Networks Summer Schools 2023, which takes place 27th -28th July at the University of Birmingham.

The deadline to submit your applications is Wednesday 10th May 2023.

To apply, click here.

Jordan Sollof is joined by Ling Lee, a GP and digital trailblazer fellow in Derby who is a member of the Shuri Network and had a place on the bursary scheme last year.

Ling tells all about her experience as a Shuri Network bursary holder and the impact it has had on her professional development, before talking about last year’s Digital Health Summer Schools and how the event helped expand her digital health and data knowledge and skills.

She then explains how the bursary programme has opened up new career opportunities in the digital health field and why it is so important that programmes like this that promote diversity and inclusion in digital health continue moving forward.

Lastly, Ling gives her expert advice on why others who are considering applying for the programme should do so.

Eligible members of the Shuri Network can apply for the Bursary here.

This episode of Digital Health Unplugged, brought to you in partnership with Specops, focuses on all things cyber security in the NHS and healthcare sector.

Host Jordan Sollof is joined by Darren James, head of internal IT and product specialist at Specops, to talk about the current cyber landscape in healthcare, including the common types of cyber threats that the NHS is facing on a regular basis.

Darren then explains what the NHS can learn from previous cyber attacks, such as WannaCry and Advanced, before giving healthcare organisations some top tips and best practice on being as prepared as possible for an attack.

Finally, the lack of national policy and the recent government cyber strategy is discussed before Darren brings out his crystal ball and attempts to predict what could happen in the next few years with regards to cyber security in the NHS.

Digital Health would like to thank its partner for this episode Specops Software, a leading password management and authentication solution vendor.

In the latest episode of Unplugged, host Jordan Sollof is joined by Ayesha Rahim and Alistair Cannon to delve deep into the world of CCIO mentoring.

Rahim is a consultant psychiatrist, chief medical information officer at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and clinical lead for digital mental health at NHS England, and Cannon is a psychiatrist core trainee at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and clinical research fellow at King’s College London.

The pair explain why they took part in the CCIO mentoring programme, the challenges of maintaining a mentor-mentee relationship and how the mentoring as a whole helped them in their work going forward.

The lack of clear pathways for young people and aspiring CCIOs to develop is then discussed before the guests give their top tips and advice for those considering participating in a mentoring programme.

In an episode brought to you in partnership with Restore Digital, Jordan Sollof is joined by head of healthcare at the company Ted Reynolds to discuss its journey to the DCB0129 standard.

Reynolds explains what the standard is and why it is vital to ensure clinical safety, before discussing what clinical risks there could be without working to this standard.

He then shares his opinion on whether the standard should be mandatory, before focussing on a recent article he wrote for Digital Health about the value of patient data in population health management.

Lastly, Reynolds talks about the collaboration with the NHS that is involved when working to the DCB0129 standard and looks ahead to what is next for both the NHS in terms of digitisation and for Restore Digital.

Digital Health would like to thank its partner for this episode Restore Digital, the leading UK digitisation provider.

Joining Jordan Sollof on this episode is Sylvia Stevenson and Dr Lia Ali to discuss women in digital healthcare leadership and give a sneak preview of a session on the topic that will take place at this year’s Digital Health Summer Schools in Birmingham.

Stevenson, head of diversity, equity and inclusion development at Integrated Care 24, and Dr Ali, consultant psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and clinical advisor in the transformation directorate of NHS England, explain some key challenges women face in attaining leadership positions in digital healthcare.

The pair then share some examples of innovative approaches that women have brought to digital healthcare leadership, before talking about the importance of the Digital Health Networks in empowering women.

Finally, the Summer Schools speakers describe the ways in which men can be allies and advocates for women in digital healthcare leadership, before giving one final plug to their session taking place on Friday 28 July, titled ‘Shaping the future: women in digital healthcare leadership’.

The session will be chaired by Ayesha Rahim and will feature a panel that also includes Aasha Cowey and Stacey Hatton alongside Sylvia and Lia. It will take place in Lecture Theatre 1 at 3.15pm, running until 4pm.

Jordan Sollof is joined by Helen Balsdon, interim chief nursing information officer (CNIO) at NHS England, to discuss the hugely successful CNIO mentoring programme.

Balsdon explains the reasons behind launching the programme before talking through the process of mentoring in terms of how the mentor-mentee relationships were established, how the monthly group meetings were structured and the specific areas of development that were targeted.

She then discusses the key outcomes and learnings from the feedback received before looking ahead to how the programme may evolve and expand in the future.

Finally, the NHSE interim CNIO shares success stories that have come from the programme and how it has positively impacted the career trajectories of some of the mentees.

Ahead of speaking in a session at the inaugural Digital Health AI and Data conference, Dione Rogers, Simon Noel and Julia Gudgeon join host Jordan Sollof on Digital Health Unplugged to speak about the impact of AI in nursing and midwifery.

Rogers is deputy chief nurse and chief nursing informatics officer at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Noel is CNIO at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the recently elected chair of the Digital Health CNIO Network Advisory Panel, and Gudgeon is national digital midwife lead, maternity at NHS England.

The trio discuss the impact AI is already having on nursing and midwifery, examples in practice, major problems AI solves for nurses and midwives, key barriers and challenges and what more can be done in the present and future to better nursing and midwifery using AI.

The inaugural Digital Health AI and Data conference will take place 30-31 October at the Business Design Centre in London. Registration is available here.

The session featuring Rogers, Noel and Gudgeon, titled ‘Transforming Nursing and Midwifery: AI’s Impact on Care and Practice’, will take place on Day One of the event (30 October) at 3.30pm on the AI and Analytics Stage.

You can find the written piece following the podcast recording on our website here.

Jordan Sollof is joined by Richard Scott, chief medical officer, acting CEO and soon to be the new interim CEO of Genomics England, to chat about the work the organisation does and how AI fits in ahead of speaking at the inaugural Digital Health AI and Data next week.

Scott details his background and journey to Genomics England before explaining what the organisation does and the projects they are working on, including the Newborns Genomes Programme.

He then highlights the importance of AI and how it can change the genomics landscape for the better and looks head to his session at Digital Health AI and Data, where he will be a keynote speaker alongside NHS England’s Dr Claire Bloomfield.

The inaugural Digital Health AI and Data conference will take place 30-31 October at the Business Design Centre in London. Registration is available here.

The session featuring Scott and Bloomfield, titled ‘Keynote: transforming healthcare through data and research’, will take place on Day One of the event at 9.30am on the Data and Research Stage.

The Digital Health News team make a long-awaited return to the podcast with a slightly altered lineup as news editor Andrea Chipman makes her Unplugged debut alongside CEO and editor-in-chief Jon Hoeksma, and news reporter and host Jordan Sollof.

The trio reflect on the inaugural Digital Health AI and Data, which took place 30-31 October at the Business Design Centre in London, discussing key themes and takeaways before focussing on the federated data platform (FDP) and the story published by Digital Health News last week.

The news team then chat about other pieces of news, including the release of the latest OECD annual health report, the lack of mention of mental health in The King’s Speech, and some of the latest electronic patient record (EPR) go lives that have been covered.

In the first Digital Health Unplugged of 2024, Jordan Sollof is joined by Shuri Network members Tolu Awe and Felicia Akubue to highlight the benefits of being a part of the bursary programme and the insights gained at Digital Health Summer Schools 2023.

Awe, delivery manager at NHS England, and Akubue, scrub nurse and group CQC compliance officer at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, discuss how being part of the Shuri Network bursary programme and attending Summer Schools last year impacted their professional development and career advancement in the digital health sector.

The pair also pick out their best bits from Summer Schools in Birmingham and explain why they would recommend the opportunity to be on the bursary programme to other aspiring digital leaders within the Shuri Network or similar communities.

The next episode of Digital Health Unplugged takes a look at interoperability in practice and empowering improved health outcomes through connecting care records.

Brought to you in partnership with Oracle Health, usual host Jordan Sollof hands the reigns over to Isaac Fredericks, director of relationships at Oracle Health. He is joined by Mark Westwood, GP at The Village Green Surgery (Great North Care Record), Jocelyn Palmer, programme director at One London, and Mike Seda, executive director at Tiger Institute for Health Innovation.

The panel share insights in how they are using HIE to enhance and automate data sharing workflows and what the driving factors are behind each of their projects, including improving care coordination, supporting safe patient transfers, enhancing efficiencies, and achieving better patient outcomes.

Other key focus areas in the episode include implementation strategies, collaborative working across different care settings, privacy and information governance considerations, technology and adoption challenges, operational management, and insights into future projects.

Digital Health would like to thank its partner for this episode, Oracle Health.

Jordan Sollof is joined on Digital Health Unplugged by Rewired 2024 speaker Dr Jessica Morley, postdoctoral researcher at the Digital Ethics Center at Yale University.

Morley runs through her career to date, including what motivated her to transition from working in the NHS and Department of Health and Social Care into academia and how this influenced her perspective on healthcare policy and data science.

She then talks about OpenSAFELY and the Goldacre Review, two projects she was heavily involved in before explaining what her recently completed PhD is about and the key things that emerged from all of the research.

Lastly, Morley looks ahead to the future of healthcare data science and AI policy before previewing her keynote session at Digital Health Rewired 2024.

She will be speaking on the AI, Data and Analytics Stage on Wednesday 13th March at 2pm in a keynote session that also features Dr Nadine Hachach-Haram of Proximie and Professor Erika Denton of NHS England.

Rewired24 takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 12-13 March. You can view the full programme here. To attend, register here.

Sir Julian Hartley, CEO at NHS Providers and keynote speaker at Digital Health Rewired 2024, is the latest guest to join Jordan Sollof on Digital Health Unplugged.

Hartley chats about his career journey to date before explaining why collaboration and peer learning is crucial when it comes to digital transformation. He then discusses the recent Times Health Commission report and the ten-point plan for health, which has a digital focus.

Hartley also explains why it is difficult for organisations to advance the digital agenda in the system landscape before highlighting what NHS Providers are currently doing to help drive digital transformation in the NHS.

Finally, he looks ahead to Digital Health Rewired in Birmingham next month and gives a flavour of what he will talk about in his keynote session.

Hartley will be speaking on the Digital Transformation Stage on Wednesday 13th March at 3pm alongside Mike Bracken, founding partner of Public Digital, and Rachel Hope, director of Digital Prevention Services at NHS England.

Rewired24 takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 12-13 March. You can view the full programme here. To attend, register here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jordan Sollof is joined by DJ Hamblin-Brown and Simon Weldon in an episode focused on the challenges of clinical coordination in the UK health system and how they can be addressed.

Hamblin-Brown, emergency doctor and chief executive at digital health firm CAREFUL, and Weldon, chief executive at South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, discuss what is meant by clinical coordination, why it is important to patients and families and how it is relevant to the Labour government’s new policy agenda.

The pair explain why clinical coordination is difficult to achieve, give examples of best practice and highlight the main issues that the NHS is facing.

They suggest how digital can play a key role in the helping the health system to become more coordinated, before looking ahead with optimism for the future.

Guests:

DJ Hamblin-Brown, emergency doctor and chief executive at CAREFUL

Simon Weldon, CEO at South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

The latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged explores how data and digital solutions are improving care pathways and advancing clinical research.

Brought to you in partnership with Oracle Health, Jordan Sollof passes the hosting duties over to Ryan Irwin, lead client executive at Oracle Health.

He is joined by Ameet Bakhai, consultant cardiologist, physician and research director at The Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, and Debbie Phillips, chief clinical information officer (CCIO) at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The pair explain how data and digital solutions can improve care pathways and clinical research that brings significant opportunity for improving health outcomes, and the need to ensure effective planning, staff and patient engagement and implementation strategies.

The episode also highlights how Milton Keynes is designing enhanced clinical workflows that are underpinned with technology and use data for continuous improvement.

Digital Health would like to thank its partner for this episode, Oracle Health.

Panel:

Ryan Irwin, lead client executive at Oracle Health

Ameet Bakhai, consultant cardiologist, physician and research director at The Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust

Debbie Phillips, CCIO at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

In the final Unplugged episode of the year, the Digital Health News team reflect on the biggest stories covered in 2024 and look ahead to what they think will be big on the news agenda in 2025.

Stories discussed include Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the state of the NHS and the hotly-anticipated Autumn Budget, in which more than £2 billion investment was announced for NHS technology and digital.

Cyber security is also a hot topic, with three major attacks on the NHS including the attack on pathology provider Synnovis causing widespread disruption to services in south east London. The team also discuss the federated data platform and controversy surrounding its supplier Palantir.

Listen on to hear the news team’s analysis of 2024 and predictions for the new year…

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

Thanks for listening to the show throughout 2024. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

In the first episode of the new year, Jordan Sollof, reporter at Digital Health News chats to Rachel Dunscombe, chief executive of OpenEHR International, about the importance of healthcare data, electronic patient records (EPRs) and having more female representation in digital health. 

Dunscombe stresses the importance of standardised, quality data in improving healthcare and outcomes and what AI is capable of achieving in 2025 and beyond.

She also gives her take on the UK EPR market and whether anything more needs to be done to make better use of the platforms, before highlighting the importance of women having leadership roles and there being diversity in the digital health sector.

Dunscombe is a confirmed keynote speaker at Digital Health Rewired 2025. She looks ahead to the event and explains what she is hoping to take from it and get across to the audience.

Digital Health Rewired takes place on 18-19 March 2025 at the NEC in Birmingham and is free for those in the NHS and public sector.

Guest:

Rachel Dunscombe, chief executive at OpenEHR International

The latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged features Holly Coole, senior manager for digital mental health at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), talking about the regulation of digital mental health technologies (DMHTs).

Tammy Lovell, news editor at Digital Health News, chats to Coole about the three-year Digital Mental Health Project, which aims to improve outcomes for people with mental health conditions by ensuring that both medical professionals and the public have safe and effective access to DMHTs.

In the podcast they discuss how the project, led by the MHRA in partnership with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, aims to provide clarity around the key considerations for the regulation and valuation of DMHTs.  

They also talk about the challenges of regulating this area and why it is so important to protect patient safety, and ensure access to effective products for mental health. 

Coole, who is a registered mental health nurse, co-authored a paper on the project, published in The Lancet Digital Health in January 2025.

Listen to this episode to discover what this project means for the future of mental health technology in the UK.

Guest:

Holly Coole, senior manager for digital mental health at the MHRA

This episode of Digital Health Unplugged sees Euan McComiskie and Eddie Olla delve into the use of generative AI in healthcare and what the key risks of the technology are for clinicians and patients.

McComiskie, health informatics lead at The Charted Society of Physiotherapy and Digital Health Networks CNIO Advisory Panel member, recently spoke about the Digital Health Networks position statement to Digital Health’s news editor Tammy Lovell, and expands on his thoughts in the episode.

Olla, chief digital information officer at NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), joins in on the discussion, highlighting some key risks, such as hallucinations and bias in AI algorithms.

The pair discuss how we can balance excitement for AI with caution and what medical schools’ approach to using AI should be, before rounding off by predicting what will happen in the coming months and years with regards to AI in healthcare.

Guests:

Euan McComiskie, physiotherapist, health informatics lead at The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and member of Digital Health Networks CNIO Advisory Panel

Eddie Olla, chief digital information officer at NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB

Jordan Sollof is joined by Kaye Reynolds and Sascha Mullen to delve into how ‘legacy debt’ in the NHS is risking patient safety and the important role that clinical safety officers (CSOs) play.

Legacy debt refers to a historical failure to comply with digital clinical safety standards.

The Digital Health Networks CSO Council has issued an advisory statement for NHS trusts and integrated care boards about the potential consequences of not completing tasks such as hazard logging and safety case reporting for software.

Reynolds, lead digital CSO at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, and Mullen, chief nursing information officer and CSO at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, discuss what the issues could mean for patient safety and what trusts need to do to help tackle the problem.

They also highlight the role of CSOs and why there need to be more across the NHS, before leaving listeners with their final key takeaways for healthcare leaders.

The podcast follows a story from Digital Health News on the Digital Health Networks CSO Council issuing an advisory statement for NHS trusts and integrated care boards about the potential consequences of not completing tasks such as hazard logging and safety case reporting for software.

Guests:

Kaye Reynolds, lead digital CSO at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust

Sascha Mullen, chief nursing information officer and CSO at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Podcast host and reporter Jordan Sollof records live from day one of Rewired 2025 at the NEC in Birmingham.

After taking in the atmosphere of the show, Sollof speaks to speakers, session chairs and exhibitors to find out about their hot topics for digital and data this year.

Sollof catches up with Damian Pearce, chief commercial officer at Stalis to chat about the impact of AI on healthcare and some of the highlights on the AI and Data Stage.

Next Alan Payne, group product and engineering director at Rewired 2025 co-sponsor, The Access Group, discusses the key takeaways from his earlier session on ‘Putting people at the heart of health and social care’ on the Integrated Care Stage.

Sollof asks Lee Rickles, chief information officer at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, about the government’s disbandment of NHS England and the possible impact on the digital health sector.

Rickles also discusses the sessions he is chairing on ‘Putting people at the heart of health and social care’ and ‘Enhancing cross-sector partnerships: From primary to communities’.

Finally, Sollof joins Paul Deffley, UK chief medical officer at Alcidion at the company’s stand to discuss what will be coming up at his day two session on ‘Transforming clinical support with digital systems and platforms’, which will take place on the Best Practice Showcase Stage.

Guests:

Lee Rickles, chief information officer at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust

Damian Pearce, chief commercial officer at Stalis

Alan Payne, group product and engineering director at The Access Group

Paul Deffley, UK chief medical officer at Alcidion

Digital Health Unplugged host Jordan Sollof reports from day two of Rewired 2025 at the NEC in Birmingham.

Sollof chats to more speakers and exhibitors to find out their event highlights and the key topics for digital and data this year.

He catches up on the latest news from the NHS Innovation Accelerator 2025 launch, discusses clinical safety in AI, tries out a patient entertainment system from Airwave Healthcare and finds out about a digital health initiative at James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Guests:

Mindy Simon, co-director at NHS Innovation Accelerator

Mark Hutchinson, senior vice president: healthcare strategy & transformation, EMEA at Altera

Maxx Gattlin, commercial director X-on Health

The 100th episode of Digital Health Unplugged sees host Jordan Sollof joined by Dr Lia Ali to chat about the value of being a Digital Health Networks Advisory Panel member ahead of this year’s elections.

Ali, a consultant psychiatrist and clinical advisor at the NHS England transformation directorate, explains what the advisory panels do and why they are vital for the digital health community.

She discusses being a chief clinical information officer (CCIO) advisory panel member for the last few years, including what motivated her to apply, her most memorable experiences and some of the important issues the panel covered and worked on.

Lastly, she shines a light on the impact the advisory panels have on the wider digital health community before encouraging listeners to nominate themselves or a peer to stand in the upcoming elections.

Nominations opened for the advisory panel elections on 3 March 2025 and will close on 11 April 2025.

You can nominate yourself or a peer to stand in the upcoming Digital Health Networks CCIO, chief information officer (CIO) and chief nursing information officer (CNIO) Advisory Panel elections here.

Guest:

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

Jordan Sollof is joined by representatives of the two Digital Health Rewired 2025 Pitchfest winners, Asclepius MedTech Limited and Daysix.

Michael Morgan-Curran, chief executive of Asclepius, winner in the pre-revenue generating category and Ben Beaumont, chief technology officer at Daysix, the revenue generating Pitchfest champion, explain what their solutions are and how their companies were formed.

The pair pick out some key highlights and achievements since the start-ups were founded before discussing why they applied for this year’s Pitchfest and what their experience of the process was like.

They speak about how winning the competition has already and will continue to help them moving forward, before laying out their goals and ambitions for the coming months and years.

Lastly, Morgan-Curran and Beaumont give their expert advice to health tech start-ups considering applying for Pitchfest 2026.

Guests:

Michael Morgan-Curran, chief executive of Asclepius MedTech Limited

Ben Beaumont, chief technology officer at Daysix

The latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged, brought to you in partnership with Optum, delves into the firm's acquisition of EMIS and what it means for the NHS and health technology sector.

Host Jordan Sollof is joined by Dr Shaun O’Hanlon, group chief medical officer at Optum, to discuss why it was necessary for EMIS to become Optum and whether there is an element of risk in losing the EMIS name which has been well-known for several decades in the healthcare sector.

O’Hanlon talks about the future for the population health and vaccination programmes, which EMIS previously played a major role in, and whether Optum’s focus will remain on the UK or shift to operating globally.

He also outlines his vision for the future of primary health technology and what the key plans and goals are for the future for Optum.

Digital Health would like to thank its partner, Optum, for this episode.

Guest:

Dr Shaun O’Hanlon, group chief medical officer at Optum

Digital Health reporter Jordan Sollof is joined by returning guest Mark Hutchinson, vice-president of healthcare strategy and transformation at Altera Digital Health, to discuss electronic patient record (EPR) procurement, optimisation and delivering tangible benefits.

Hutchinson shares his unique perspective, shaped by his time working within the NHS and leading on EPR deployments at several large NHS trusts, on how organisations can take a smarter, more sustainable route to digital maturity.

He highlights some real-world success stories that show how a modular, interoperable approach to EPR implementation not only reduces risk but enables frontline teams to realise immediate benefits while laying the foundation for long-term impact.

Lastly, Hutchinson talks about how trusts can rethink procurement strategies to better align with their digital transformation goals and reveals what he believes are the most exciting opportunities for innovation in healthcare technology over the next five to ten years.

Guest:

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

This podcast episode, in partnership with Digital Health Networks sponsor Imprivata, focuses on all things mobile technology in healthcare.

Host Jordan Sollof, reporter at Digital Heath News, is joined by Louise Clarkson, chief nursing information officer at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Daniel Johnston, associate chief nursing informatics officer and director of clinical operations at Imprivata, and Andy Wilcox senior product manager at Imprivata, the digital identity company for healthcare and beyond.

The conversation highlights the benefits of going mobile and the key things to remember for healthcare organisations implementing the technology.

They also discuss the main challenges to adoption and the barriers that IT departments and frontline workers are facing, before explaining what some of the workflow considerations are when going mobile.

Finally the guests look ahead to what’s next for mobile technology in light of the 10 year health plan, and what Imprivata hopes to achieve both in the short and long term.

Guests:

Louise Clarkson, chief nursing information officer at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Daniel Johnston, associate chief nursing informatics officer and director of clinical operations at Imprivata

Andy Wilcox, senior product manager – shared services at Imprivata

Unplugged host Jordan Sollof is joined by three of the Digital Health Awards 2025 winners to discuss how they are driving digital transformation and give their thoughts on the NHS 10 year health plan.

Amy Freeman, chief digital information officer (CDIO) at University Hospitals of North Midlands, was named chief information officer (CIO) of the year at Digital Health Summer Schools 2025.

She also sets out what she hopes to achieve in the next two years as the new chair of the Digital Health Networks CIO Advisory Panel, after being voted in earlier this year.

Kaye Reynolds, lead clinical safety officer (CSO) at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, was voted CSO of the year in the Digital Health Awards.

As well as reflecting on her achievement, Reynolds discusses the CSO Coffee and Chat Network, which she founded and chairs.

Rising Star Award winner, Tom Micklewright, clinical lead for digital transformation in primary care at Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB), highlights his work leading on the development of the Digital Care Pathway for Heart Health project.

The trio then give their thoughts on the government’s 10 year health plan and how it will shape the digital health priorities at their respective organisations going forward.

Guests:

Amy Freeman, CDIO at University Hospitals of North Midlands and chair of the Digital Health Networks CIO Advisory Panel

Kaye Reynolds, lead CSO at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust

Tom Micklewright, clinical lead for digital transformation in primary care at Cheshire and Merseyside ICB

Digital Health Unplugged host Jordan Sollof is joined by Dame Barbara Hakin, chair of the Health Tech Alliance, to discuss the role of healthcare technology in the government’s NHS 10 year health plan healthcare technology.

Hakin, former deputy chief executive at NHS England, highlights some of the digital ambitions laid out in the plan, including the introduction of innovator passports to help fast-track the rollout of technology.

She also explores the update to NICE's technology appraisal process to cover some devices, diagnostics and digital products through the rules-based pathway and why the alliance is has been calling for value-based procurement to create a more innovation friendly system.

The discussion also includes the government’s recently published Life Sciences Sector Plan and why it is more practical to implement than the 10 year health plan.

Guest:

Dame Barbara Hakin, chair of the Health Tech Alliance and former deputy chief executive at NHS England

This episode of Unplugged, in collaboration with Digital Health Networks sponsor CereCore International, focuses on delivery of the 10 year health plan.

Podcast host Jordan Sollof is joined by Sir David Sloman, senior advisor to CereCore International and former chief operating officer at NHS England, and Andrew Hine, managing director at CereCore International.

The pair welcome the publication of the 10 year health plan and the fact we have now have high level vision, but stress that leadership on the ground needs to grasp this opportunity and gets moving, not waiting to be told what to do.

Sloman and Hine both give their advice to organisations about to implement an electronic patient record system, urging them to get help from people who have done it multiple times before in their careers as they are the subject matter experts who can spot the “bear traps”.

They stress the importance of optimism, pace and momentum if we want the 10 year health plan to be achieved in the timeframe set out and that the NHS must be get cracking straight away and not wait two years to make changes.

Guests:

Sir David Sloman, senior advisor to CereCore International and former chief operating officer at NHS England

Andrew Hine, managing director at CereCore International

Host Jordan Sollof is joined by the co-directors of the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) to discuss how the NHS can attract female innovators and those from underrepresented groups.

Mindy Simon and Jack Porter discuss how the NIA provides “wrap-around” support and acts as a bridge between innovators and the NHS.

They then make clear that the NIA is encouraging and targeting applications from female innovators, black innovators and those from underrepresented backgrounds.

In 2019, after revising their promotional language and approach, the NIA achieved 40% female innovators in that year’s cohort. In the last two years, the figure has fallen to 18% female innovators.

Across the entire 10-year history of the NIA, there have only been two black innovators out of more than 100 fellows and around eight Asian innovators accepted into the programme.

To address this, Simon explains how the NIA are refining how they communicate about the programme to ensure the wording attracts a wider and more diverse pool of applicants.

In the episode Porter also highlights several success stories from NIA fellows, before reflecting on Rewired 2025, where the NIA launched its largest new cohort of fellows, with plans for an even bigger number when the accelerator launches again at Rewired 2026.

Guests:

Mindy Simon, co-director of the NHS Innovation Accelerator

Jack Porter, co-director of the NHS Innovation Accelerator

Ahead of speaking at Digital Health Rewired 2026, Dr Jennifer Dixon, chief executive at The Health Foundation, gives her views on the NHS 10 year health plan.

In conversation with Digital Health Unplugged host, Jordan Sollof, Dixon stressed the importance of the 10 year health plan moving beyond ambition into clear actionable steps, particularly around digital transformation and service delivery.

She discussed the need for a broader and more balanced approach to AI in healthcare which recognises the potential of the technology but avoids the hype that surrounds it.

Dixon also shared her views on the value of the recently published NHS league tables, which have been criticised by some for being overly simplistic.

Lastly, Dixon looks ahead to speaking at the next Rewired event, taking place at the Birmingham NEC on 24-25 March 2026.

Guest:

Dr Jennifer Dixon, chief executive at The Health Foundation

On World Mental Health Day 2025, this powerful episode of Digital Health Unplugged delves into the importance of including the patient voice in the development of digital mental health technologies (DMHTs).

Podcast host Jordan Sollof is joined by Holly Coole, senior manager for digital mental health at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and Grace Gatera, a lived experience advocate with direct experience of trauma from surviving the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Coole discusses the three-year Wellcome-funded project she is leading, which aims to strengthen regulation and evaluation of DMHTs including apps, digital triage tools and virtual reality software.

Joining from Rwanda, Gatera shares her first-hand understanding of mental health problems and the importance of including lived experience voices in digital mental health design and regulation.

The two women are working together to ensure that DMHTs - including the use of AI - are effective, safe and take the needs of those who use them into account.

Guests:

Holly Coole, senior manager for digital mental health at the MHRA

Grace Gatera, lived experience advisor from Rwanda with a global perspective on mental health access and the power of tech in underserved communities

In the latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged, Paul Jones, chief digital information officer (CDIO) at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, delves into the details of the 10 year health plan.

In conversation with Jordan Sollof, podcast host, Jones discusses the digital ambitions in the government's 10 year plan and why they should not be treated as "a silver bullet" for efficiency.

He also shares his views on plans for the single patient record, the federated data platform, and the use of AI in the NHS, before sharing the technology he's most excited about at Leeds.

Jones also discusses the independent inquiry into repeated maternity failings at Leeds Teaching Hospitals and explains what the trust is doing to improve the service and how digital can support.

Finally, he looks ahead to speaking at Digital Health Rewired 2026, which takes place at the Birmingham NEC on 24-25 March, and gives listeners a taste of what he'll be talking about at the event.

Guest:

Paul Jones, CDIO at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

In the first episode Digital Health Unplugged episode of the year, Beverley Bryant, chief digital officer (CDO) across three trusts in Dorset, reflects on her involvement in a national rapid review of electronic patient record (EPR) programmes across acute NHS trusts.

Bryant, who is CDO at University Hospitals Dorset, Dorset County Hospital and Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trusts,  joins Unplugged host Jordan Sollof to discuss the challenges organisations face at different stages of EPR implementation, and the considerations NHS leaders need to weigh as they move from planning to go-live and beyond.

She shares how those insights are informing Dorset’s own EPR programme, as part of a county-wide digital strategy.

The conversation goes on to explore the realities of AI adoption in healthcare, lessons learned from the Synnovis cyber attack, the balance between national digital priorities and local delivery, and why digital transformation needs to be owned beyond IT teams.

Bryant also looks ahead to speaking at Digital Health Rewired 2026, which takes place at the Birmingham NEC on 24-25 March, where she will be joined on stage by Siobhan Harrington, chief executive at University Hospitals Dorset. Register here.

Guest:

Beverley Bryant, chief digital officer for Dorset Providers - University Hospitals Dorset, Dorset County Hospital and Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trusts

In this episode of Digital Health Unplugged, Charlotte Refsum, director of health policy at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, explains why a single patient record is becoming increasingly important in the age of AI.

Refsum tells Tammy Lovell, editor at Digital Health News, that as AI, data and digital technologies begin to reshape health systems, data unification is critical to support safer care, new models of delivery and a fundamentally different way of running the NHS.

Drawing on her experience from the UK and health systems around the world, Refsum reflects on how digital could enable more integrated and preventative care, empower people to better manage their own health, and change the way patients interact with services through tools such as the NHS App.

The conversation also explores the challenges standing in the way of this vision, including data sharing, public trust, interoperability and legacy systems, as well as discussing what to expect from the NHS 10 year health plan.

Refsum will be delivering a keynote at Digital Health Rewired, to give her views on what comes next in the NHS’s shift to digitisation and prevention.

The event is taking place at the Birmingham NEC on 24-25 March 2026. Free for NHS, public sector, charities, research and education. Commercial tickets start from £769+VAT. Register here.

Guest:

Charlotte Refsum, director of health policy at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

The latest episode of Unplugged, in partnership with BridgeHead Software, explores why the NHS must move beyond ‘analogue to digital’ to ‘digitalised’.

Digital Health Unplugged host Jordan Sollof is joined by Adam Coombes, product owner, HealthStore at BridgeHead Software, and Andy Meiner, founder of SI Squared, to examine the hidden barriers to interoperability.

The pair argue that data only becomes useful when enriched with structure, standards and metadata, before discussing why paper is still so deeply embedded in NHS workflows.

They then outline the practical strategies organisations can use to unify and operationalise their data to help deliver the ambitions of the NHS 10 year health plan.

Lastly, Coombes and Meiner offer one mindset shift and one practical step that chief information officers and chief clinical information officers should take to move towards true digitalisation.

Guest:

Adam Coombes, product owner, HealthStore at BridgeHead Software

Andy Meiner, founder of SI Squared

In this episode of Digital Health Unplugged, Judy Faulkner, founder and chief executive of Epic Systems, shares her journey from maths puzzles and early programming to building one of the world’s most widely-adopted electronic patient record (EPR) systems.

Speaking to Tammy Lovell, editor at Digital Health, Faulkner reflects on how she started Epic in a basement in 1979 with a handful of programmers, with the company valued at $70,000.

The US software giant has grown into the largest EPR vendor by market share, with its revenue estimated $5.7bn in 2024. 

Epic's revenue is now an estimated $5.7bn in 2024, with the firm covering more than half of hospital patients in the US.

It also recorded the biggest gain in the UK's EPR market between January 2024 and March 2025, now holding around 10% of the NHS acute trust market.

Faulkner, who owns 43% of the firm, discusses her decision to remain privately held and mission-driven rather than answer to shareholders, and explains how her mother’s advice continues to influence her leadership.

The conversation also explores Epic’s immersive approach to product development, how AI is being embedded across the system, and Faulkner's vision for a more preventive, accessible healthcare system.

Epic will be at Digital Health Rewired, which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 24th-25th March 2026. Register here.

Guest:

Judy Faulkner, founder and CEO, Epic Systems 

In the latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged, Marcus Baw calls for a rethink of NHS technology strategy, arguing that the service has drifted away from open source and in-house capability.

Baw, a GP, clinical safety officer, clinical informatician and software engineer, criticises NHS England’s quiet removal of its open source policy webpages, dismissing the explanation that this was part of a routine website clean-up and that the NHS is now following government service standards.

He also makes a strong case for in-sourcing software development, claiming that outsourcing increases costs and weakens the NHS’s technical capability.

Baw also tells host Jordan Sollof, that the federated data platform is not delivering against its original ambitions and while adoption is growing, and expressed scepticism that changes at the top of NHS England would automatically lead to reform.

Looking ahead, he says the NHS should consider building its own cloud infrastructure through NHS-based data centres to reduce reliance on commercial providers, lower compliance burdens and reuse waste heat to power hospital estates.

Guest:

Marcus Baw, GP, clinical safety officer, clinical informatician, and software engineer

The latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged explores what it takes to successfully scale innovation in the NHS and why so many startups fail.

Unplugged host Jordan Sollof is joined by Mindy Simon, co-director of the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA), an initiative to support promising health innovations to spread across the NHS, and NIA alumni Elina Naydenova, co-founder and chief executive of HealthTech startup Feebris,

They share insights on how to move digital health solutions from pilot to system-wide adoption, including the single most important factor in determining whether an innovation will scale.

Drawing on Feebris’ experience delivering AI-enabled virtual care across more than 250 sites, Naydenova describes her journey in the NHS as a startup founder, including an example where a procurement process took 13 months, while full deployment across multiple hospitals and clinical pathways took just six weeks.

The NIA will launch its latest cohort of fellows at Digital Health Rewired 2026, showcasing new health technologies and featuring 24 quick-fire pitches from the new fellows.

Rewired 2026 takes place on 24-25 March at the NEC Birmingham. Register here.

Guests:

Mindy Simon, co-director at the NHS Innovation Accelerator

Elina Naydenova, co-founder and chief executive of Feebris

This podcast episode recorded at day one of Digital Health Rewired 2026 explores how technology and data can help deliver neighbourhood health.

The NHS 10 year health plan includes the creation of a Neighbourhood Health Service, which aims to bring care closer to home and reduce healthcare inequalities.

Neighbourhood health teams will bring together multi-disciplinary professionals to focus on patients with multiple long-term conditions and people with complex needs.

In this episode of Digital Health Unplugged, host Jordan Sollof discusses the new service with Ben Hampshire, regional director at Optum, and Dr Rowan Sil, chief clinical information officer (CCIO) at Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care System (ICS).

Hampshire highlights the digital capabilities required to make the neighbourhood health model work effectively, including the use of data for population health management, tools to support elective recovery, and technologies that help patients to ‘wait well’.

Dr Sil discusses the importance of equipping clinicians with joined-up systems and the role of digital in connecting voluntary and community organisations into neighbourhood care pathways.

They also examine the importance of ensuring that underserved populations are not excluded from digitally enabled neighbourhood care and share some real-world examples of where neighbourhood working is already making a difference.

Guests:

Ben Hampshire, regional director at Optum

Dr Rowan Sil, CCIO at Leicester, Leicester and Rutland ICS

This episode of Digital Health Unplugged, recorded on day two of Rewired 2026, focuses on rolling out the federated data platform (FDP) and ambient voice technology (AVT) at scale in Leicester and Northamptonshire.

Host Jordan Sollof is joined by Will Monaghan, group chief digital information officer (CDIO) at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group (UHN).

Monaghan discusses being the first organisation to roll out the FDP at scale and the key benefits seen so far, whilst also addressing the controversy around US supplier Palantir and making it clear that the platform is not for everyone.

He also discusses the recent roll out of a large ambient AI contract from Accurx across UHL and UHN and how it is benefitting staff and patients before highlighting the benefits of being a part of the European Trustworthy and Responsible AI Network (TRAIN).

The group CDIO then gives his thoughts on whether it is a realistic ambition for the NHS 10 year health plan to put a lot of faith in digital to increase frontline productivity and outlines the key digital goals for UHN and UHL over the coming months.

Guest:

Will Monaghan, group CDIO at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group

This special report from Digital Health Unplugged explores whether the NHS’s shift to digital is improving access to healthcare or creating new barriers.

The government’s 10 year health plan sets out a move towards a ‘digital by default’ service, with the NHS App as the system’s ‘front door’ and an ‘online hospital’ planned to help reduce elective wait lists.

Proponents argue this transformation will expand access and free up capacity for those who need it most, but is that promise being realised in practice or does it risk becoming a barrier for the most vulnerable members of society?

You can read the full transcript of this episode here.

Music and sound design:

• Matt Hill Audio

Guests:

• Rosemary Hill, patient
• Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK
• Pritesh Mistry, fellow in digital technologies  at The King’s Fund
• Lee Rickles, chief information officer at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust
• Elizabeth Anderson, chief executive at Digital Poverty Alliance
• Owen Chinembiri, assistant director – workforce, at the NHS Race and Health Observatory
• Rachel Power – chief executive at The Patients Association
• Katie Heard, head of research and data insight at Good Things Foundation
• Thomas Porteus, chair of Out Together
• Deborah Rozansky, director of policy, research and innovation at the Social Care Institute for Excellence

Winning the Rewired Pitchfest 2026 competition has put women’s health in the spotlight, but Daye’s founder Valentina Milanova tells Digital Health Unplugged that the UK is still "falling behind" on care, research and investment.

In the latest podcast episode, Tammy Lovell, editor at Digital Health News, speaks to Milanova about the urgent need to rethink women’s health and why progress has been slower than it should be.

They explore the ongoing challenges, from stigma and funding gaps to delays in diagnosis and access to care, and what needs to change to better support patients.

At the centre of the conversation is Daye’s flagship innovation: a diagnostic tampon designed for at-home HPV testing, which offers a new approach to cervical cancer screening aimed at improving accessibility for patients while easing pressure on NHS services.

Milanova also reflects on the wider issues shaping women’s health - from the legacy of women being excluded from clinical trials until the 1990s to the reality that many women still wait years for a diagnosis.

Listen to the full episode to hear why she believes the UK has the tools to tackle one of the most preventable cancers, but isn’t moving fast enough.

Guest:

Valentina Milanova, founder and chief executive of Daye

Host Jordan Sollof is joined in the latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged by Alcidion’s Paul Deffley and Tracy McClelland to discuss patient flow and why getting it right is essential for safety, efficiency and patient experience.

Deffley, UK managing director and chief medical officer, and McClelland, chief clinical information officer at Alcidion, discuss the firm’s new handbook on improving patient flow across healthcare systems.

They also highlight a real-world example of patient flow at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The discussion then turns to the the key findings and recommendations in the Public Policy Projects report on bed management and patient flow that Alcidion were involved in.

Lastly, the pair give their best tips for hospital leaders wanting to improve flow starting tomorrow, before discussing the other developments planned for 2026 for Alcidion.

Guests:

Paul Deffley, UK managing director and chief medical officer at Alcidion

Tracy McClelland, chief clinical information officer at Alcidion