Digital Health Unplugged: How can the NHS attract female innovators?

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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

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  

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