Digital Health Unplugged

Digital Health Unplugged returns as host Jordan Sollof is joined by Lawrence Tallon, chief executive at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), to discuss the newly published blueprint for regulating AI in healthcare. The National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare published its recommendations today (10 September), setting out how the UK can give patients faster, safer access to AI in their care. Tallon discusses some of the key recommendations and what they could mean for patients, clinicians and developers of AI-enabled medical devices. Among the proposals is a staged, “L-plates” style approach to authorising new AI models, designed to enable promising technologies to reach patients more quickly while evidence about their safety and effectiveness continues to develop. Sollof asks Tallon how the proposed system would work and, crucially, how regulators could ensure that speeding up access does not expose patients to greater risk. The discussion also explores the commission’s call for continuous, real-world monitoring of AI-enabled medical devices throughout their working lives, including who would be responsible for monitoring systems once they are deployed and why a single point of approval may no longer be sufficient for AI technologies that can change over time. Tallon is questioned on proposals to make safety information about individual AI-enabled medical devices easier to access, whether patients should be told every time AI is involved in their care and what happens if someone does not want an AI system to be used. The episode also tackles one of the biggest questions surrounding the growing use of healthcare AI: who is accountable when something goes wrong? Sollof then asks what stronger powers proposed for the MHRA could allow the regulator to do when an AI system falls short of expected standards, and whether the commission’s recommendations could address concerns about AI scribes and ambient voice technology after reports of errors appearing in patients’ medical records. Guest: Lawrence Tallon, chief executive, the MHRA

In the latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged, host Jordan Sollof is joined at NHS ConfedExpo 2026 by Dr Peter Thomas and Kate Warriner for a deep dive into the proposed NHS single patient record (SPR). The government’s NHS Modernisation Bill includes a requirement for all NHS providers to share patient data to create a SPR, which it says will help join up fragmented health information and improve access to patient records across care settings. Dr Thomas, director of digital development and consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Warriner, chief transformation and digital officer at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, discuss how a SPR could help both clinicians and patients. With concerns around the legislation forcing providers to share patient data, the pair explain how the NHS should balance easier access to information with patients’ expectations around consent and control, before stressing the importance of leadership and governance to the success of the SPR. Finally, the guests highlight the technical barriers that still need to be overcome before a SPR can be created and set out what needs to have happened for the SPR programme to be considered a success five years from now. Guests: Dr Peter Thomas, director of digital development and consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Kate Warriner, chief transformation and digital officer at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Host Jordan Sollof is joined in the latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged by Alcidion’s Paul Deffley and Tracy McClelland to discuss patient flow and why getting it right is essential for safety, efficiency and patient experience. Deffley, UK managing director and chief medical officer, and McClelland, chief clinical information officer at Alcidion , discuss the firm’s new handbook on improving patient flow across healthcare systems. They also highlight a real-world example of patient flow at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The discussion then turns to the the key findings and recommendations in the Public Policy Projects report on bed management and patient flow that Alcidion were involved in. Lastly, the pair give their best tips for hospital leaders wanting to improve flow starting tomorrow, before discussing the other developments planned for 2026 for Alcidion. Guests: Paul Deffley, UK managing director and chief medical officer at Alcidion Tracy McClelland, chief clinical information officer at Alcidion

Winning the Rewired Pitchfest 2026 competition has put women’s health in the spotlight, but Daye’s founder Valentina Milanova tells Digital Health Unplugged that the UK is still "falling behind" on care, research and investment. In the latest podcast episode, Tammy Lovell, editor at Digital Health News, speaks to Milanova about the urgent need to rethink women’s health and why progress has been slower than it should be. They explore the ongoing challenges, from stigma and funding gaps to delays in diagnosis and access to care, and what needs to change to better support patients. At the centre of the conversation is Daye’s flagship innovation: a diagnostic tampon designed for at-home HPV testing , which offers a new approach to cervical cancer screening aimed at improving accessibility for patients while easing pressure on NHS services. Milanova also reflects on the wider issues shaping women’s health - from the legacy of women being excluded from clinical trials until the 1990s to the reality that many women still wait years for a diagnosis. Listen to the full episode to hear why she believes the UK has the tools to tackle one of the most preventable cancers, but isn’t moving fast enough. Guest: Valentina Milanova, founder and chief executive of Daye

This special report from Digital Health Unplugged explores whether the NHS’s shift to digital is improving access to healthcare or creating new barriers. The government’s 10 year health plan sets out a move towards a ‘digital by default’ service, with the NHS App as the system’s ‘front door’ and an ‘online hospital’ planned to help reduce elective wait lists. Proponents argue this transformation will expand access and free up capacity for those who need it most, but is that promise being realised in practice or does it risk becoming a barrier for the most vulnerable members of society? You can read the full transcript of this episode here . Music and sound design: Matt Hill Audio Guests: Rosemary Hill, patient Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK Pritesh Mistry, fellow in digital technologies at The King’s Fund Lee Rickles, chief information officer at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust Elizabeth Anderson, chief executive at Digital Poverty Alliance Owen Chinembiri, assistant director – workforce, at the NHS Race and Health Observatory Rachel Power – chief executive at The Patients Association Katie Heard, head of research and data insight at Good Things Foundation Thomas Porteus, chair of Out Together Deborah Rozansky, director of policy, research and innovation at the Social Care Institute for Excellence

This episode of Digital Health Unplugged, recorded on day two of Rewired 2026, focuses on rolling out the federated data platform (FDP) and ambient voice technology (AVT) at scale in Leicester and Northamptonshire. Host Jordan Sollof is joined by Will Monaghan, group chief digital information officer (CDIO) at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group (UHN). Monaghan discusses being the first organisation to roll out the FDP at scale and the key benefits seen so far, whilst also addressing the controversy around US supplier Palantir and making it clear that the platform is not for everyone. He also discusses the recent roll out of a large ambient AI contract from Accurx across UHL and UHN and how it is benefitting staff and patients before highlighting the benefits of being a part of the European Trustworthy and Responsible AI Network (TRAIN). The group CDIO then gives his thoughts on whether it is a realistic ambition for the NHS 10 year health plan to put a lot of faith in digital to increase frontline productivity and outlines the key digital goals for UHN and UHL over the coming months. Guest: Will Monaghan, group CDIO at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group

This podcast episode recorded at day one of Digital Health Rewired 2026 explores how technology and data can help deliver neighbourhood health. The NHS 10 year health plan includes the creation of a Neighbourhood Health Service, which aims to bring care closer to home and reduce healthcare inequalities. Neighbourhood health teams will bring together multi-disciplinary professionals to focus on patients with multiple long-term conditions and people with complex needs. In this episode of Digital Health Unplugged, host Jordan Sollof discusses the new service with Ben Hampshire, regional director at Optum , and Dr Rowan Sil, chief clinical information officer (CCIO) at Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care System (ICS). Hampshire highlights the digital capabilities required to make the neighbourhood health model work effectively, including the use of data for population health management, tools to support elective recovery, and technologies that help patients to ‘wait well’. Dr Sil discusses the importance of equipping clinicians with joined-up systems and the role of digital in connecting voluntary and community organisations into neighbourhood care pathways. They also examine the importance of ensuring that underserved populations are not excluded from digitally enabled neighbourhood care and share some real-world examples of where neighbourhood working is already making a difference. Guests: Ben Hampshire, regional director at Optum Dr Rowan Sil, CCIO at Leicester, Leicester and Rutland ICS

The latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged explores what it takes to successfully scale innovation in the NHS and why so many startups fail. Unplugged host Jordan Sollof is joined by Mindy Simon, co-director of the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA), an initiative to support promising health innovations to spread across the NHS, and NIA alumni Elina Naydenova, co-founder and chief executive of HealthTech startup Feebris , They share insights on how to move digital health solutions from pilot to system-wide adoption, including the single most important factor in determining whether an innovation will scale. Drawing on Feebris’ experience delivering AI-enabled virtual care across more than 250 sites, Naydenova describes her journey in the NHS as a startup founder, including an example where a procurement process took 13 months, while full deployment across multiple hospitals and clinical pathways took just six weeks. The NIA will launch its latest cohort of fellows at Digital Health Rewired 2026 , showcasing new health technologies and featuring 24 quick-fire pitches from the new fellows. Rewired 2026 takes place on 24-25 March at the NEC Birmingham. Register here . Guests: Mindy Simon, co-director at the NHS Innovation Accelerator Elina Naydenova, co-founder and chief executive of Feebris

In the latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged, Marcus Baw calls for a rethink of NHS technology strategy, arguing that the service has drifted away from open source and in-house capability. Baw, a GP, clinical safety officer, clinical informatician and software engineer, criticises NHS England’s quiet removal of its open source policy webpages, dismissing the explanation that this was part of a routine website clean-up and that the NHS is now following government service standards. He also makes a strong case for in-sourcing software development, claiming that outsourcing increases costs and weakens the NHS’s technical capability. Baw also tells host Jordan Sollof, that the federated data platform is not delivering against its original ambitions and while adoption is growing, and expressed scepticism that changes at the top of NHS England would automatically lead to reform. Looking ahead, he says the NHS should consider building its own cloud infrastructure through NHS-based data centres to reduce reliance on commercial providers, lower compliance burdens and reuse waste heat to power hospital estates. Guest: Marcus Baw, GP, clinical safety officer, clinical informatician, and software engineer

In this episode of Digital Health Unplugged, Judy Faulkner, founder and chief executive of Epic Systems, shares her journey from maths puzzles and early programming to building one of the world’s most widely-adopted electronic patient record (EPR) systems. Speaking to Tammy Lovell, editor at Digital Health, Faulkner reflects on how she started Epic in a basement in 1979 with a handful of programmers, with the company valued at $70,000. The US software giant has grown into the largest EPR vendor by market share, with its revenue estimated $5.7bn in 2024. Epic's revenue is now an estimated $5.7bn in 2024, with the firm covering more than half of hospital patients in the US. It also recorded the biggest gain in the UK's EPR market between January 2024 and March 2025, now holding around 10% of the NHS acute trust market. Faulkner, who owns 43% of the firm, discusses her decision to remain privately held and mission-driven rather than answer to shareholders, and explains how her mother’s advice continues to influence her leadership. The conversation also explores Epic’s immersive approach to product development, how AI is being embedded across the system, and Faulkner's vision for a more preventive, accessible healthcare system. Epic will be at Digital Health Rewired , which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 24th-25th March 2026. Register here . Guest: Judy Faulkner, founder and CEO, Epic Systems

The latest episode of Unplugged, in partnership with BridgeHead Software, explores why the NHS must move beyond ‘analogue to digital’ to ‘digitalised’. Digital Health Unplugged host Jordan Sollof is joined by Adam Coombes, product owner, HealthStore at BridgeHead Software , and Andy Meiner, founder of SI Squared , to examine the hidden barriers to interoperability. The pair argue that data only becomes useful when enriched with structure, standards and metadata, before discussing why paper is still so deeply embedded in NHS workflows. They then outline the practical strategies organisations can use to unify and operationalise their data to help deliver the ambitions of the NHS 10 year health plan . Lastly, Coombes and Meiner offer one mindset shift and one practical step that chief information officers and chief clinical information officers should take to move towards true digitalisation. Guest: Adam Coombes, product owner, HealthStore at BridgeHead Software Andy Meiner, founder of SI Squared

In this episode of Digital Health Unplugged, Charlotte Refsum, director of health policy at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, explains why a single patient record is becoming increasingly important in the age of AI. Refsum tells Tammy Lovell, editor at Digital Health News, that as AI, data and digital technologies begin to reshape health systems, data unification is critical to support safer care, new models of delivery and a fundamentally different way of running the NHS. Drawing on her experience from the UK and health systems around the world, Refsum reflects on how digital could enable more integrated and preventative care, empower people to better manage their own health, and change the way patients interact with services through tools such as the NHS App. The conversation also explores the challenges standing in the way of this vision, including data sharing, public trust, interoperability and legacy systems, as well as discussing what to expect from the NHS 10 year health plan . Refsum will be delivering a keynote at Digital Health Rewired , to give her views on what comes next in the NHS’s shift to digitisation and prevention. The event is taking place at the Birmingham NEC on 24-25 March 2026. Free for NHS, public sector, charities, research and education. Commercial tickets start from £769+VAT. Register here . Guest: Charlotte Refsum, director of health policy at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

In the first episode Digital Health Unplugged episode of the year, Beverley Bryant, chief digital officer (CDO) across three trusts in Dorset, reflects on her involvement in a national rapid review of electronic patient record (EPR) programmes across acute NHS trusts. Bryant, who is CDO at University Hospitals Dorset, Dorset County Hospital and Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trusts, joins Unplugged host Jordan Sollof to discuss the challenges organisations face at different stages of EPR implementation, and the considerations NHS leaders need to weigh as they move from planning to go-live and beyond. She shares how those insights are informing Dorset’s own EPR programme, as part of a county-wide digital strategy. The conversation goes on to explore the realities of AI adoption in healthcare, lessons learned from the Synnovis cyber attack, the balance between national digital priorities and local delivery, and why digital transformation needs to be owned beyond IT teams. Bryant also looks ahead to speaking at Digital Health Rewired 2026 , which takes place at the Birmingham NEC on 24-25 March, where she will be joined on stage by Siobhan Harrington, chief executive at University Hospitals Dorset. Register here. Guest: Beverley Bryant, chief digital officer for Dorset Providers - University Hospitals Dorset, Dorset County Hospital and Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trusts

In the latest episode of Digital Health Unplugged, Paul Jones, chief digital information officer (CDIO) at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, delves into the details of the 10 year health plan. In conversation with Jordan Sollof, podcast host, Jones discusses the digital ambitions in the government's 10 year plan and why they should not be treated as "a silver bullet" for efficiency. He also shares his views on plans for the single patient record, the federated data platform, and the use of AI in the NHS, before sharing the technology he's most excited about at Leeds. Jones also discusses the independent inquiry into repeated maternity failings at Leeds Teaching Hospitals and explains what the trust is doing to improve the service and how digital can support. Finally, he looks ahead to speaking at Digital Health Rewired 2026 , which takes place at the Birmingham NEC on 24-25 March, and gives listeners a taste of what he'll be talking about at the event. Guest: Paul Jones, CDIO at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

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