Health and Social Care hub page
Find all the latest news and events from the health and social care programme.
Health and Social Care insights
Upcoming events
Get involved!
All of techUK's work is led by our members. Stay connected and get involved!
Health and Social Care Groups
Our members currently lead the following workstreams.
Social Care Working Group
The Working Group acts a neutral forum for knowledge exchange across the supplier base and for public sector stakeholders to engage with the market. While identifying common challenges and solutions and offering the opportunity to leverage synergies to partner as often an ecosystem approach is needed to solve a problem.
Life Sciences Working Group
techUK's Life Sciences Working Group has been established to help identify how the technology industry can facilitate and deliver the Life Sciences Vision, setting out the role of digital health and care in achieving the ambition to set the UK apart as a world leader in life sciences and deliver life-changing innovations to patients.
Social Care Innovation
Find out more about our work to shape the digital social care marketplace and how our members are innovating across the industry.
Health and Social Care Council
The Council meet regularly to develop and lead the techUK Health and Social Care Programme, bringing focus to our healthcare policy work, and to the programme's activities, representing the wider membership.
Health and Social Care updates
Sign-up to get the latest updates and opportunities from our Health and Social Care programme.
Our team
Robert Walker
Robert Walker
Robert joined techUK in October 2022, where he is now Programme Manager for Health and Social Care.
Robert previously worked at the Pension Protection Fund, within the policy and public affairs team. Prior to this, he worked at the Scottish Parliament, advising politicians and industry stakeholders on a wide range of issues, including rural crime and health policies.
Robert has a degree in Politics and International Relations (MA Hons) from the University of Aberdeen, with a particular focus on strategic studies and energy security. Outside of work he enjoys activities such as running, rugby, boxing and cooking!
- Email:
- [email protected]
Viola Pastorino
Viola Pastorino
Viola Pastorino is a policy, governance, and strategic communication specialist.
She joined techUK as the Junior Programme Manager in the Health and Care Team in April 2024.
She has obtained a Bachelor of Sciences in Governance, Economics, and Development from Leiden University, and a Master's programme in Strategic Communications at King's College London. Her academic background, leading up to a dissertation on AI policy influence and hands-on campaign development, is complemented by practical experience in international PR and grassroots project management.
She is skilled in qualitative and quantitative analysis and comfortable communicating findings to varying stakeholders. Above all, she is deeply passionate about the intersection of technology and government, especially how technology and global discourse shape one another, the processes that lead to belief polarisation and radicalisation of communities, and crafting strategic narratives that steer public discourse.
Outside of work she loves reading, live music light operation, and diving.
Rachel Kennedy
Rachel Kennedy
Rachel joined techUK in December 2024, as a Programme Manager in the Health and Social Care team.
Prior to this, Rachel worked at a specialist health and social care public affairs agency, working with a range of organisations and trade bodies across the medical technology, pharmaceutical, digital health and social care sectors. As well as this, Rachel was part of the Secretariat for a number of health and care related All-Party Parliamentary Groups.
Rachel has a Masters in Global Governance and Diplomacy from the University of Leeds, as well as a first-class honours in Politics BA from Newcastle University.
Francesca Richiusa
Francesca Richiusa
Fran serves as the Programme Team Assistant within techUK’s Public Sector Market Programmes, where she is responsible for delivering comprehensive team support, managing administrative functions, and fostering strong relationships with members.
Prior to joining techUK in May 2025, Fran built a meaningful career in the charitable and local government sectors. She worked extensively with both victims and perpetrators of crime, and notably led the coordination of Domestic Homicide Reviews across Surrey—an initiative aimed at identifying lessons and preventing future incidents of domestic abuse.
Outside of work, Fran is an avid traveller and a proud cat mum who enjoys unwinding with her feline companions.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Website:
- www.techuk.org/
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesca-richiusa/