In this episode I speak with Hatim Abdulhussein about the NHS’s new Ten Year Plan and what it means for digital transformation, innovation, and workforce development. Hatim is a practicing GP, CEO of Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex, and Honorary Professor of Innovation and AI at the University of Surrey. 

We begin with Hatim’s career journey, from his early experiences with digital systems as a junior doctor to leading national programmes on digital, AI, and robotics in health education, and now his current leadership role at a regional health innovation network. 

Hatim explains the essential function of Health Innovation Networks: there are 15 across England, each working to identify, test, and scale innovations that address the NHS’s biggest challenges and support economic growth within their regions. 

We then turn to the new Ten Year Plan. Hatim highlights the three main shifts set out in the plan: moving from analog to digital, hospital to community, and sickness to prevention. He notes that while the plan is ambitious, it draws many ongoing conversations and sets out practical mechanisms for change, such as development of the NHS app, a single patient record, and more ambitious use of AI.

We discuss the challenges of implementation, touching on the lessons from past national IT efforts, the importance of flexible policy, the need for clear national and regional roles, and how ringfenced digital funding will help build momentum. Hatim also shares thoughts on what should be standardised on a national or regional level, and where providers and local champions should have autonomy to innovate and test new ideas.

Finally, I ask Hatim to look ahead to 2035. We discuss the potential impact of a truly shared single patient record, and the ways AI could ease administrative burdens for clinicians. Hatim’s boldest bet for the future is the genuine shift of care from acute hospitals to the community that is powered by technology, for the benefit of patients and the wider health system.

I hope you find this episode a useful and balanced overview of where NHS digital transformation is headed, what’s realistic, and what challenges and opportunities lie ahead.

If people want to find out more about Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex and see some examples of otheir role in finding, testing and implementing innovation in action: Annual review 2024-25 - Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex

If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!

The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode I speak with Dr Helen Hughes, Associate Professor of Organizational Psychology at the University of Leeds and Director of the Behaviour Lab at Leeds Business School. Helen’s work focuses on the human side of systems, particularly how people think, feel and behave in complex environments such as healthcare and engineering.

We discuss what ‘human factors’ means as a discipline and its application to both patient safety and wider technology adoption. Helen outlines the interplay between people, processes, technologies, and the overall healthcare system, emphasising that technology adoption always affects and is affected by the human and social dimensions of organisations. She says that it is not enough to focus on the technical aspects of adoption alone; the environment, existing processes, and particularly the people are equally, if not more, important.

Helen shares insights from her work supporting technology implementation in healthcare and describes the pitfalls of “cookie cutter” approaches that fail to account for different cultures, contexts, and workflows across wards or organisations. Stressing the importance of early and sustained stakeholder engagement, bringing people with you rather than imposing change.

We also discuss the idea of “system readiness.” While there are established ways of assessing if a technology is ready for use, there’s far less focus on understanding if the wider system is ready for the changes a new technology might bring. 

This episode is a useful introduction to the field of human factors, grounded in real-world experience and with practical takeaways for clinicians, digital teams, and technology companies alike.

If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!

The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode I speak with Rochelle Gold, Head of User Research at NHS England. Rochelle’s background spans research in health, social care, and digital technology, and we explore the evolving role of user research and user-centred design in the NHS, both on a national scale and at the local level.

Rochelle shares what her main role involves, from setting standards and policy for ethical and safe user research across NHS England, to overseeing design operations and leading and developing user centered maturity across NHS products and services. We discuss in detail what user research really means in practice and how it’s less about asking people what they want and more about understanding their real needs and behaviours in context. 

We touch on Rochelle’s own career journey, her original training as an occupational psychologist, and the many backgrounds people bring into user research roles, from clinical practice, other types of research, and beyond. 

Finally, we discuss the wider future of user-centred design in the NHS, including the need for stronger connections between digital, policy, and operational teams, and the growing importance of multidisciplinary working, including with QI and improvement colleagues, to deliver better services for both staff and patients.

This is for anyone working in digital health, clinical leadership, or service improvement who wants to better understand what robust user research and user-centred design look like in practice, and how these principles can be applied across different levels of the NHS.

If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!

The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode, I sit down with Ivor Williams, a designer with a background in both UX and product design with a focus on mortality and end of life care. Ivor brings a unique perspective to design in healthcare with his experience spanning academia, startups, and current independent venture, 

Delving into his work at Imperial College with palliative and end of life care projects. We talked about what it means to design for "death care", an area that bridges end of life care with the broader context of funeral services and legacy. Ivor shares insights on how design can facilitate change in outdated systems, drawing parallels to technological disruptions in other industries.

We then explore his own company, Mortal, a service that encourages individuals to engage with their mortality. Ivor describes the five-week program that helps people confront existential questions in a group setting, highlighting how early contemplation can lead to a fuller life.

Ivor reflects on his time at the Helix Centre and Acurex, discussing the role of design in healthcare innovation. He emphasises the importance of human connection, embracing difficult conversations, and how technology should augment rather than replace human capabilities.

We talk about the importance of designing with a systems-thinking approach in the NHS, recognising that sustainable change requires understanding the interplay of people, processes, and technology.

Join us for an enlightening discussion about the intersections of design, healthcare, and mortality, and how these considerations can transform patient care and healthcare systems alike.

If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!

The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode, I sit down with Greg Burch, a specialty doctor in the emergency department and co-founder of Tiny Medical Apps. Greg has been working in clinical settings for many years and shares his journey into the world of digital health innovation.

Greg's professional background and the inception of Tiny Medical Apps, an app designed to support young individuals in managing their health conditions. He explains the rationale behind their digital health passport and why they started with asthma. We also discuss the challenges they've faced, such as regulatory barriers and the complexity of the NHS landscape.

Greg gives us insight into the assumptions they had when starting their digital health company and how those were challenged. He shares the marketing strategies they've employed, such as their use of TikTok to reach young audiences, and the importance of understanding both user needs and system navigation in health tech innovation.

Greg offers his perspective on the future of digital health, the tenacity needed to succeed, and how Tiny Medical Apps hopes to create a sustainable impact in addressing health inequalities. Outlining  his hope for better funding models that focus on long-term impact and benefit smaller, high-need groups.

Join us as Greg shares valuable lessons and insights on navigating the intersection of clinical practice and digital health innovation.

If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!

The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode, I speak with Hayley Grafton, the Chief Nursing Information Officer at University Hospitals Leicester, and Lindsay Lewis, a master’s student in Service Design at the University of the Arts, London. We discuss their collaborative project focusing on medication management, which is part of Lindsay's Master's degree project.

Delving into the use of personas to improve user engagement with new systems. Lindsay shares her approach to developing personas based on survey data from 30 nurses, where she categorized them into three groups: Adopters, Pragmatic Acceptors, and Worried Skeptics.

Hayley and Lindsay explain the complexities of change management in the resource-constrained NHS environment. Hayley describes how Shared Decision-Making Councils at her trust give staff time to improve workflows and suggests they could involve nurses in solving operational challenges in the future.

Lindsay provides valuable insights from her user research, emphasising the significance of understanding user attitudes. Her research highlighted equipment challenges and system workflow issues, offering a clearer view of why scanning compliance was low among nurses.

We also explored the cultural and practical barriers to adopting new technologies, such as the culture of overriding scan prompts due to initial equipment challenges. Lindsay's creation of storyboards helped articulate workflow inefficiencies, which was pivotal in understanding the issues nurses faced.

The episode is rich with information on service design, user-centered approaches, and the practical challenges of integrating new digital systems in the NHS. I invite you to listen and gain insights into this impactful collaboration.

If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!

The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode, I speak with Douglas Hamandishe about the challenges and potential innovations within the NHS. Douglas brings a wealth of experience and a diverse background, including roles as a mental health nurse, CCIO, broadcaster, creative director, and local councillor. His insights are deepened by an engineering background and his practical, hands-on understanding of healthcare systems.

Douglas highlights the difficulties patients face when managing their health independently for most of the year, often with minimal support. He critiques the outdated digital tools and documentation still prevalent in healthcare, emphasising their inadequacy in supporting patient care.

Delving into the structural issues within the NHS that hinder significant innovation. Douglas is critical of the lack of transformational leadership and the resistance to change that persists within the system. We discuss the importance of feeling safe and valued within one's community and the need for sustainable practices, including supporting UK-based industries and addressing public health issues like noise pollution and domestic violence.

Douglas shares his vision for a strong manufacturing and engineering base in the UK, coupled with sustainable energy and British-owned industries. He reflects on how past industry losses have impacted communities, leading to anti-social behaviours and a distrust of authority. They also touch on the lack of trust in health services, especially during the early stages of COVID-19, and how this has further harmed minority communities.

Moving to mental health care, exploring its evolution from a more authoritarian model to a collaborative and autonomy-focused approach. Douglas critiques the current state of mental health facilities and the imbalance between clinician-led care and patient autonomy in electronic patient record systems. His vision for the future includes home-based care and increased emphasis on self-management, supported by monitoring devices.

Douglas also stresses the importance of addressing social determinants of health, advocating for a ‘well-care system’ that considers housing, education, and food as fundamental to overall well-being. Extending to discrimination within the NHS and suppliers, highlighting the need for accountability and the negative impacts of mistrust in technology. He commends the Jabali Men's Network for their work in challenging discrimination and calls for broader action to drive change in the sector.

Lastly, reflecting on Douglas's career journey—from engineering to mental health nursing—and his ongoing passion for digital transformation in the NHS. He underscores the necessity of holding authority figures accountable, fostering allyship, diversity, and inclusion, and simplifying communication within the sector.

If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!

The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode, I speak with Matt Boazman, the Chief Executive of Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital, about the evolving landscape of digital transformation in healthcare, focusing particularly on the crucial role of third sector organisations in engaging diverse communities. Matt, who brings a wealth of experience from his position at a prominent healthcare trust, delves into the intricacies of integrating digital strategies to improve healthcare outcomes and patient care.

We start our conversation by exploring the digital health inequalities present in Birmingham. Matt discusses the demographic variations and the socio-economic factors that are pivotal in shaping the trust's digital initiatives. He emphasises the importance of tailor-made strategies that account for this diversity to effectively address health disparities.

Shifting to the capabilities of healthcare staff and organisational investments in training. Matt underscores the meticulous efforts in upliftment of staff competences to bridge the digital divide, ensuring all personnel are equipped to handle the advanced technologies introduced in the healthcare setting.

Matt speaks about fostering a conducive environment for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the healthcare sector, highlighting the necessity of a seamless ecosystem that supports collaboration and integration across different stakeholders.

Furthermore, delving into the practical aspects of implementing new programs and technologies. Matt shares insights on the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system's deployment within his organisation, describing it as a cultural shift rather than just a technological upgrade. He articulates the importance of redesigning care processes and the strategic investments needed to harmonise digital initiatives with broader organisational goals.

Finally, Matt reflects on the psychological and cultural impacts of these technological integrations on his trust and board. He provides a thoughtful overview of the balance required between innovating for efficiency and maintaining a human-centric approach in healthcare.

If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!

The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode of Digital Ecology, I speak with Aahuti Rai, a remarkable voice and advocate for women's health and a proponent for sustainable innovation in digital health. Aahuti shares with us her extensive experience in digital transformation across different sectors before focusing her expertise exclusively on health tech. 

With Aahuti's background in large multinational corporations, she brings a wealth of knowledge in leveraging technology to enable large-scale innovation. We navigate through a range of topics, including the pivotal role of women in healthcare innovation, the need for more female investors, and addressing the gender and sex-based disparities that pervade medical research.

Delving into the goals and formation of the Mental Health Innovation Network, which strives to foster transformative solutions in mental health by connecting a multifaceted community of innovators, researchers, and investors. This network champions diversity, uniting stakeholders from startups, the NHS, investment realms, academia, and charitable organisations to grapple with common challenges faced within healthcare innovation.

Aahuti gets to the heart of the matter by stressing the importance of first principles in women's health and recognising conditions that uniquely affect or disproportionately impact women. Shedding light on the uphill battle many women-led startups face, especially those founded by those from underrepresented backgrounds. Underscoring the need to keep women's health at the forefront of public discourse, she calls for ongoing advocacy and improvement in both national and international health strategies.

Finally, Aahuti weighs in on the sustainability of business models in digital health, suggesting systemic changes and government intervention as potential accelerators of progress. Despite the optimism for consolidation and sustainable capital flows, we touch on the risks of hype-driven innovation and the importance of maintaining foundational quality in digital health solutions.

If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!

The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at Talking HealthTech.

In this episode of Digital Ecology, I have the pleasure of speaking with Natalie Hayes, the Chief Nursing Information Officer in a large acute trust in the Northwest. Our conversation centres on the impact of technology on nursing in the NHS and Natalie's experiences advocating for nurses in the digital transformation space.

Natalie has been in her role for three years and describes it as being an advocate for nurses and digital transformation, translating between nursing and IT worlds. Her responsibilities include focusing on projects, system usability, data usage, clinical safety, maintenance of existing systems, and communication with various stakeholders, making her role vital to the intersection of nursing and technology.

Natalie emphasises the tangible benefits of digital healthcare, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and shares her passion for the CNIO role. We also discuss the "We Are Not Waiting" movement in the diabetes community, where families created closed-loop pancreas, highlighting the proactive approach to using technology in managing diabetes.

Delving into the evolving role of Chief Nursing Information Officers, the digital literacy challenges facing nursing staff, and the importance of technology being people-centric and efficient in healthcare. We also explored the potential for automating more processes in healthcare, the importance of involving nurses in procuring and assessing software, and the need for system integration in nursing to reduce redundant documentation.

We conclude on a reflective note, highlighting the operational challenges in the NHS and the necessity for a more structured career path for nurses in senior digital health roles, as well as the lasting understanding of the benefits of digital healthcare and remote clinics, particularly for specific patient groups.

If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!

The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.