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 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, 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  

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 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  

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  

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  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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 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.

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.  

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 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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.

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.

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 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 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 [email protected].  

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.*

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 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.

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 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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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 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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

  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.

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.

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.

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.

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.