techUK hosts roundtable on digital transformation in health and care across West Yorkshire
Key themes that emerged from the discussion included:
- Digital maturity
We discussed in-depth the issues presented by varying levels of digital maturity in trusts across the West Yorkshire region. As an area made up of many distinct and varying demographics, the issues facing separate populations within the region can vary significantly, as can the ability of the NHS and social care to tackle them.
As such, the participants discussed the importance of getting the basics right, ensuring that less glamorous issues such as legacy IT and basic digital infrastructure are addressed before technologies such as AI can be properly implemented.
In acknowledging the challenges presented by the differences in digital maturity across West Yorkshire, one NHS colleague stressed the importance of designing solutions for the organisation you work for, not the organisation you want to work for.
- Interoperability
Much of the discussion on interoperability centred around the Yorkshire and Humber Care Record, often held up as a best practice example due to having been established in 2019, significantly before many other regions. Colleagues from the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership shared challenges around the need for additional use cases to demonstrate the potential benefits of the record to patients. This example illustrated an issue that ran throughout the discussion around ensuring buy-in from throughout an organisation when new digital solutions are introduced.
Above all, interoperability within the NHS is a thorny issue which can often demand years of activity before tangible change is made. While national approaches to such entrenched problems can often face challenges, members and public sector colleagues had a positive view of the opportunity to approach this issue from a local perspective once ICSs are enshrined in law.
- Levelling up
Attendees highlighted that despite best intentions, if implemented without consideration for health inequalities, digital solutions have the potential to inadvertently exacerbate inequities. This is largely due to disparities in adoption, as seen in the example of wealthier populations disproportionately accessing an app to allow citizens to monitor blood pressure from home.
Attendees discussed potential solutions, including pushing forward the cultural shift to look at the full range of places in which health and are provided, rather than just primary and acute settings.
Colleagues from the WYCA also led a discussion around the recently-published West Yorkshire Health Tech Strategy, which explores how the region’s healthtech strengths can be best-harnessed to benefit the local economy and address systemic health and care challenges. In addition to this, a new Digital Skills Plan for West Yorkshire is due to be published shortly and aims to tackle digital inclusion.
techUK has further roundtable coming up in both Bath and London. If you would like to get involved in techUK’s work on Integrated Care Systems or our wider regional engagement, please contact [email protected].
Alex Lawrence
Alex Lawrence
Alex joined techUK in July 2021 as Programme Manager for Health and Social Care. Since July 2023 Alex has led the Programme.
Alex formerly worked at Portland Communications, joining as part of their 2019 Graduate Scheme intake. In March 2020 she joined Portland’s Health team, supporting a range of clients in the life sciences industry across both public affairs and strategic communications.
Alex has a degree in History from the University of Cambridge, focussing on Early Modern Europe and material culture. Outside of work she enjoys reading, finding new places to eat, and running.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 07963 501 791
- LinkedIn:
- linkedin.com/in/alex-lawrence-509a8b166
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.
Clara Hewitt
Clara Hewitt
Clara joined techUK in October 2023. She brings experience across a range of domestic and global health issues, with particular focus on digital health, HIV/AIDS and climate change and health.
Clara holds an MSc in Global Health and Development (University College London) and a BSc in Psychology (University of Birmingham).