The winners of the ninth annual Our Health Heroes Awards were revealed last week (22 May) at a dazzling awards ceremony held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London.
From porters and cleaners to reception staff, gardeners, and security teams, these often-overlooked professionals represent around 40 per cent of the NHS’s workforce. This national awards programme shines a spotlight on their dedication and gives the recognition they so richly deserve for helping keep our health service running smoothly.
This year’s gold, silver and bronze winners (listed below in that order for each category) are as follows:
Individual categories
Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Healthcare, sponsored by NHS Employers
Pauline Taylor, Children’s Complex Care Quality Assurance Nurse, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Caroline Dowsett, Clinical Nurse Specialist, East London Foundation Trust
Vedantee Shiebert, CAMHS Lead Nurse, Central and North West NHS Foundation Trust
Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by SFJ Awards
Olivia Parsons, Clinic Manager, Beacon House
Tim Muttock, Business Administration Apprentice, Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Nasser Mohammed, Service Desk Supervisor/Developer, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Operational Support Worker of the Year, sponsored by iCQ Awards
Hayley Pedwell, Information Assistant, Macmillan Cancer Care
Lois Ward, Communications and Engagement Officer, Chesterfield Royal Hospital
Brian Taylor, Ambulance Welfare Officer, North East Ambulance Service Unified Solutions
Clinical Support Worker of the Year:
Sarah Haynes, Healthcare Assistant, Modality Partnership
Sam Desborough, Assistant Practitioner Occupational Therapist, Southwark Council
Lynette Cook, Ward Coordinator, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
Healthcare Volunteer of the Year
David White, Patient Befriender Volunteer, Cardiff and Vale Health Board
Chris Wilson, Volunteer Community First Responder, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Andy Emery, Transport Volunteer, Royal Voluntary Service
Team categories
Best Healthcare Workforce Collaboration, supported by Integrated Care Journal
Personalised Independence Programme, Age UK Herne Bay & Whitstable (Winner)
The What Matters Team, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust (Highly commended)
Dedication to Lifelong Learning Culture
Coventry and Warwickshire Training Hub (Winner)
Patford House Partnership (Highly commended)
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Champion, supported by NHS Race and Health Observatory
West Midlands Ambulance Service (Winner)
Wakefield Hospice (Highly commended)
Digital Innovation, supported by NHS Shared Business Services
Recruitment RPA Project Team, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (Winner)
Paediatric Virtual Ward Team, Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Highly commended)
The Our Health Heroes Awards 2025 is delivered by Skills for Health and supported by NHS England, NHS Employers, NHS Shared Business Services, NHS Race & Health Observatory, SFJ Awards, iCQ Awards and Integrated Care Journal. To find out more visit: www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/awards
NHS Surrey Heartlands partners with Community AI to deliver socially-driven investment in local priorities
By Integrated Care Journal
The partnership leverages a data-led model, harnessing local insights to support initiatives aligning with local priorities and needs.
NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB) has entered into a strategic collaboration with technology platform Community AI, to harness voluntary supplier investment in support of community wellbeing initiatives across Surrey.
At the heart of the partnership is Community AI’s COMMUNITY VALUE™ framework, a data-led model that enables public bodies to align supplier contributions with the most pressing local needs. The framework draws on verified local data to identify where resources can have the greatest impact, directing support to initiatives that reflect the priorities of residents and service users.
The approach enables NHS Surrey Heartlands to secure additional, no-cost investment into its communities – supporting health and wellbeing outcomes without placing additional strain on public finances.
“This collaboration with Community AI is a significant step in how we think about procurement as a driver of better health and wellbeing for our communities,” said Jack Wagstaff, Executive Director of Strategic Commissioning at NHS Surrey Heartlands. “By using verified data to guide investment where it’s needed most, we’re ensuring that every pound of supplier engagement delivers measurable social value. This is about smart, inclusive innovation—and doing more for the people we serve.”
The COMMUNITY VALUE™ framework bridges public need and private sector capability through a transparent and equitable model of voluntary engagement. Community AI brings together smart technology, procurement expertise, and marketing insight to direct supplier contributions to projects that deliver tangible outcomes for communities.
Paul Polizzotto, Founder and CEO of Community AI, added: “We are honoured to work with NHS Surrey Heartlands to help bring new, voluntary investment into the community in a way that is transparent, equitable, and impactful. Our COMMUNITY VALUE™ framework helps bridge the gap between private sector capabilities and public sector needs—delivering verified outcomes at no cost to taxpayers.”
Beyond Surrey, Community AI is also working with Birmingham City Council and the Tees Valley region on similar programmes, signalling a growing appetite among local authorities for data-driven and socially responsible procurement models.
The partnership comes as part of Surrey Heartlands ICB’s drive to explore innovative, value-based approaches that enhance community wellbeing, strengthen local partnerships, and improve long-term outcomes without additional financial burden on the public purse.
NHS reform: Language has changed, objectives remain the same
By David Duffy
How strategic commissioning will transform services was central to discussions at Public Policy Projects’ (PPP) Integrated Care Delivery Forum, held last Wednesday in Birmingham. David Duffy shares some initial insights from the Forum’s System Transformation Theatre.
The cycle of health system reorganisation seen over recent decades has accelerated under Keir Starmer’s Labour government, marked by the scrapping of NHS England, major reductions in system levers, and a fundamental remodelling of integrated care board (ICB) purposes. But, as stakeholders at the Forum noted, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The key for health conferences such as this, is to analyse how the delivery of integrated care will change.
Naomi Eisenstadt argued that there remains a lack of a shared understanding of what integration is fundamentally. She largely welcomed the strategic direction outlined in the ICB Model Blueprint last week, with its focus on population health, health inequality and the important role of ICBs in managing contracts with providers and determining the flow of resources. However, further clarification as to the role of neighbourhood teams is needed and further emphasis on the 4th aim of ICSs (social and economic development) would be welcome.
Professor Patrick Vernon, Chair of Birmingham and Solihull ICB, acknowledged the “mixed” impact of ICBs so far, but stressed that significant work had been done to break down silos in the Birmingham and Solihull area. Vernon also pointed out that many of the actions outlined in the model framework are already being delivered through practical ICS working. But with providers facing persistent resource constraints and ICBs set to merge into even larger footprints, progress is likely to remain uneven.
Enhancing the role of strategic commissioning
Strategic commissioning, now at the heart of ICSs’ role as outlined in last week’s model ICB blueprint, will define how these systems operate going forward. But do we fully understand what’s being asked? And how is this different to previous approaches to commissioning? Eisenstadt, Chair of Northamptonshire ICB and Non-Executive Director at the Department of Health and Department for Education, spoke about the enduring challenges of collaboration and silo breaking.
There’s still a lingering mindset in parts of the system that “if only there were more of me, then everything would be alright,” she noted, perhaps a symptom of fragmented culture, not a lack of strategy. “I think we forget why the silos persist,” reflected Eisenstadt, “they remain because vertical accountability is far less complicated than an integrated approach.”
Danielle Oum, Chair of Coventry and Warwickshire ICB was keen to highlight the opportunities of ICBs having more streamlined priorities and a greater focus on strategic commissioning: “What this means now is that we can accelerate the pace of change,” Oum reflected.
She continued: “The blueprint helps set out how ICBs will the shift from transactional and operational oversight, with a focus on performance management, towards a far more strategic and informed approach to commissioning, using their purchasing powers and their role as contract holders to drive improvement across population health.”
Speaking on the same panel, Victoria Underhill, Director of Integrated Care for Optum, noted the subtle differences between strategic commissioning and previous approaches: “I think strategic Commissioning puts population health management at the heart of strategy…ICBs have a critical role as strategic commissioners that will enable neighbourhood working, whether that’s through creating the sort of right conditions through technology enablers, data sharing, financial flows, commissioning across a pathway or for a population.”
Clear from the day’s discussion was that the best integration still happens on the frontline, when different teams are given the means to collaborate effectively together to deliver care.
Reform fatigue
Christine O’Connor reminded attendees of a hard truth: “Reorganisations do not improve the delivery at the point of care and are often disruptive to it.” Despite the promise of structural reform, what matters to frontline staff and service users is whether delivery actually improves.
ICSs were established to enable a more integrated approach to commissioning and delivering services. Yet meaningful engagement with key system partners remains inconsistent.
Nowhere is this clearer than in social care. The conference took place in the context of yet more deflating news for the sector. Nadra Ahmed, Chair of the National Care Association, powerfully highlighted the ongoing marginalisation of social care. “We put £68 billion into the economy with a 1.7 million-strong workforce, but we cannot get a seat at the decision-making table, locally or nationally.”
David Morris, PwC’s UK Central Market Head, bluntly summarised the disconnect between rhetoric and reality regarding integration: “We have a long way to go before integrating properly.”
Cllr David Fothergill, Deputy Chair of the Local Government Association, was keen to point out that, while we are in the middle a significant period of reform for the health sector, local government is going through a once in a generation period of change following the Devolution White Paper last year. “There are 317 councils across England, about 170 of those are awaiting reorganisation,” Fothergill continued. “We recognise the scale and urgency of the challenges currently facing health services, but we must not miss the opportunity to rewire change together. Integration and joint work in a system, place and neighbourhood is vital if we are to design and deliver services that put citizens at the heart of everything.”
Optimising financial flow to unlock transformation
Financial flows will be key to enabling this new approach to commissioning and to empowering providers to transform services on the ground. Andrew Moore, Joint Chair of University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, highlighted the contrast with the retail sector, where financial and workforce control mechanisms are far stronger. In health and care, however, over-reliance on agency staffing and weak grip on costs make transformation harder to deliver.
Technology remains an underused lever. Alex Crossley, Director of Transformation and Finance at NHS England, called for deeper partnerships with industry and smarter use of tech to overcome persistent productivity challenges. Strategic commissioning must include strategic deployment of digital tools.
A familiar destination despite the new language
There is a risk that ‘strategic commissioning’ turns out to be just commissioning with the word “strategic” tacked on. Policy leaders have a remarkable ability to rename old ideas and repackage them as innovations.
This tendency can frustrate frontline professionals and system leaders alike. Yet, as PPP Chair Stephen Dorrell noted in his closing remarks, it also suggests consistency in the direction of travel that should be built upon. The structures and language may change, but the core goals of integration, prevention, and efficiency remain. The challenge, as ever, is in finally delivering them.
Primary care collaborative launches COPD early detection clinic
By Integrated Care Journal
Wirral Primary Care Collaborative and Chiesi partners have launched the community-based COMET clinic to accelerate COPD assessment and diagnosis, reduce system burden and improve patient outcomes.
A primary care collaborative has launched a new initiative aimed at improving early diagnosis and management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in the Wirral area. Wirral Primary Care Collaborative (WPCC) and Chiesi UK and Ireland have collaborated to deliver the COMET clinic (COPD Targeted Management, Early Intervention and Treatment) in an effort to ease pressure on primary care and A&E services by offering early diagnosis and evidence-based interventions to at-risk populations.
COPD is a leading cause of emergency hospital admissions, with an average stay of seven days. It is estimated that up to 5,000 people are living with undiagnosed COPD on the Wirral, where prevalence is more than 40 per cent higher than the national average.1
Individuals identified as high risk of COPD will be invited to attend a community diagnostic centre (CDC) for spirometry assessment and then a diagnostic clinic for immediate management (if diagnosed). These services will be delivered directly within the community, ensuring timely access to care.
A patient in consultation at the COMET clinic
Rachel Voller, Advanced Nurse Practitioner at Moreton & Meols PCN, said: “An estimated two million people live with undiagnosed COPD in the UK, with symptoms like breathlessness and chronic cough often mistaken for fatigue or ageing. These delays in diagnosis lead to reduced quality of life for patients, costly emergency hospital admissions and irreversible lung damage.
“The lack of resources and funding across the UK means diagnostics in COPD, such as spirometry, are not always readily available in primary care. By establishing COMET, we’re equipping the NHS and supporting patients to take control of their lung health, improving early diagnosis and accelerating access to care.”
COPD is not only debilitating for patients, but also places a growing burden on the NHS, costing an estimated £1.9 billion annually in England alone. The UK continues to have some of the poorest respiratory health outcomes in Europe, with higher mortality rates from COPD than in comparable countries. Despite the scale and severity of the disease, COPD can often be overlooked, meaning opportunities for early diagnosis are frequently missed.
Many cases are identified incidentally, through initiatives such as NHS lung health checks, or during emergency admissions for other conditions, by which point irreversible lung damage may already have occurred. On the Wirral, where COPD prevalence is 2.6 per cent compared to the national average of 1.8 per cent, the COMET initiative aims to address this challenge by proactively identifying those at risk and providing timely access to spirometry and clinical assessment.
COMET enables those with symptoms and/or CT scan findings consistent with emphysema to be referred for spirometry at local Community Diagnostic Centres before inviting them to the COMET clinic for a full clinical assessment and follow-up. Designed to deliver equitable, community-based care to over 1,000 people, the programme aims to equip patients with the support they need to take control of their lung health while also helping ease the pressure on overstretched GP practices and emergency departments in the Wirral, while identifying feasible approaches that the NHS can embed in the future.
The partnership builds on insights from FRONTIER, a hospital-based programme in Hull which demonstrated that targeted screening can tackle underdiagnosed COPD by improving access to testing and care. By contrast, COMET brings diagnostic assessment and management into Primary Care for patients taking part in the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme on the Wirral, expanding early detection and intervention beyond the hospital setting.
Harriet Lewis, Senior Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Chiesi UK and Ireland, said: “At Chiesi, we believe early action is key to improving outcomes for people living with COPD. COMET has been designed to ensure access to diagnostic services is simple, breaking the cycle of delayed diagnosis and avoidable hospital admissions. By delivering care directly within the community, this partnership is integral to improving access to testing and care, easing NHS pressures and demonstrating how partnerships can drive scalable and sustainable change.”
1 Public Health Profiles: Public health profiles – OHID. Available at: phe.org.uk. Last Accessed April 2025.
Nearly half of trusts scaling back activity amid cuts, say trust leaders
By Integrated Care Journal
Cuts to clinical and non-clinical jobs will have consequences for frontline care according to survey of trust leaders, who will face competing priorities boosting performance while trying to balance the books.
NHS trusts are determined to protect patient safety as a new survey by NHS Providers reveals services are being scaled back and jobs cut as the demands of the NHS financial ‘reset’ become clear.
With the NHS looking to recover a predicted financial shortfall that reached nearly £7bn this year, trusts have been asked to drastically reduce running costs while improving performance against key targets.
With the 10-Year Health Plan due to be published in the coming months, nearly half of trust leaders (47 per cent) surveyed warned they are scaling back services to deliver tough financial plans, with a further 43 per cent considering this option. Virtual wards, rehabilitation centres, talking therapies and diabetes services for young people are among services identified at risk, demonstrating the extremely tough choices being faced by NHS leaders.
More than a third (37 per cent) said their organisation is cutting clinical posts as they try to balance their books, with a further 40 per cent considering this option. With trusts told to halve corporate cost growth, 86 per cent of trust leaders said their organisation is going to have to cut posts in non-clinical teams – such as HR, finance, estates, digital and communications – potentially risking efforts to deliver services, innovate, and improve productivity.
The scale of job cuts is becoming clear with a number of trusts aiming to take out 500 posts or more and one organisation planning to cut around 1000 jobs.
The interim Chief Executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said “It’s really worrying to hear trust leaders tell us highly valued staff and services including vital work to address health inequalities and prevention could be among the early casualties of budget cuts. These decisions are never taken lightly and will always be a last resort.”
With further reductions to temporary staffing costs (91 per cent) and a recruitment freeze (85 per cent) also on the cards, the impact of these changes on hardworking and overstretched front-line teams is a major concern for trust leaders. More than nine in ten (94 per cent) said the steps needed to deliver financial plans would have a negative impact on staff wellbeing and culture at a time when morale, burnout and vacancies are taking their toll, and disquiet over pay and conditions is rising.
Now trust leaders have called on the government to recognise the difficult decisions and competing priorities trusts face as they try to improve patient services while trying to balance the books.
The survey by NHS Providers, which represents hospital, mental health, community, and ambulance services also found:
More than one in four (26 per cent) said they will need to close some services (a further 55 per cent are considering this)
45 per cent are moderately or extremely concerned their actions will compromise patient experience
Close to three in five respondents said patient experience (61 per cent) work to address health inequalities (60 per cent) and access to timely care (57 per cent) were most at risk of being impacted
Nearly nine in ten (88 per cent) said they don’t have enough funding to invest in prevention
Saffron Cordery added: “Trust leaders will always put patient safety and quality of care first. They’re acutely aware of pressures on the public purse, the scale of the challenge they’re facing and their duty to make the most of every pound that goes into the NHS. They’re working hard every day to find efficiencies, cut costs and make savings without compromising safety. They’re at the forefront of efforts to shift care from hospitals to the community, from analogue to digital and from treating sickness to preventing ill-health.
“Trust leaders have also heard loud and clear that overspending will not be tolerated and have made major inroads in tackling the huge financial deficit facing the NHS.
“But let’s also be clear: cuts have consequences. NHS trusts face competing priorities of improving services for patients and boosting performance while trying to balance the books with ever-tighter budgets. National leaders must appreciate that makes a hard job even harder.
“[Trust leaders] are committed to working with the government to build a better health service but fear immediate financial pressures could undermine plans to transform the NHS.”
Nearly half of NHS staff say role is affecting their mental health, charity warns
By Integrated Care Journal
Nearly half of NHS staff say their job harms their mental health, with many citing chronic pressure, staff shortages, and emotional strain. NHS Charities Together is calling for urgent support to expand vital mental health services for a workforce in crisis.
Nearly half of NHS staff (47 per cent) say their job is negatively affecting their mental health, according to a new survey of more than 1,000 NHS employees, carried out by NHS Charities Together. While this is a slight improvement from last year’s figure of 51 per cent, the prevalence of poor mental health among the NHS workforce remains stubbornly high, and highlights the urgent need for continued investment in staff wellbeing.
When asked which factors have negatively impacted their mental health in the workplace in the last 12 months, the most commonly cited causes among NHS staff surveyed included staff shortages (49 per cent), not feeling able to provide the best possible care (35 per cent), rising patient numbers (29 per cent), and exposure to traumatic situations at work (15 per cent). Despite this clear and growing need, just one in four (25 per cent) said they had accessed any form of mental health support in the past year.#
The survey findings also add to the existing evidence that the incidence of mental health problems is higher among NHS workers than it is among the general population. Half (51 per cent) reported experiencing anxiety, and nearly one in four (23 per cent) said they had experienced depression. By comparison, recent national data suggests that around one in six adults (16 per cent) in England met the criteria for a common mental disorder – such as anxiety or depression – within the past week.
Other health challenges experienced by staff in the last 12 months include exhaustion (44 per cent), burnout (35 per cent), and – perhaps most alarmingly – suicidal thoughts, reported by almost one in ten NHS employees (9 per cent).
In response, NHS Charities Together is calling for urgent public support to fund expanded mental health services for staff – services that are already making a difference, but are struggling to meet demand.
Ellie Orton OBE, Chief Executive at NHS Charities Together, said: “NHS staff are facing relentless pressure, working in some of the most challenging conditions the health service has ever seen. Chronic staff shortages, rising demand, and the emotional toll of not being able to deliver the care they want to give are seriously affecting their mental health.
“Given these daily pressures, it’s sadly no surprise that mental health issues among NHS workers are so widespread. If we want the NHS to thrive, we must take better care of the people who keep it running.”
Despite the growing pressure, almost four in five staff (78 per cent) say they’re proud to work for the NHS, underlining the passion and commitment of the workforce even in times of challenge, while 43 per cent would still recommend it as a career.
NHS Charities Together, the national charity caring for the NHS, helps provide vital mental health and wellbeing services to the NHS’s 1.7 million-strong workforce. Thanks to public donations, these services include staff psychologists, peer support programmes, wellbeing hubs, and more.
The charity has also announced a new Workforce Wellbeing Programme, including an initial investment of £6 million, with a further £5 million provided by NHS England. NHS Charities Together intends to raise a further £5 million over the course of the programme to drive much needed action across the UK and create positive, lasting change. Funds will be invested where there is the greatest need, and where charities can make the biggest and most sustainable difference to the workforce.
When asked what support they felt would benefit them most, nearly three in ten NHS staff (29 per cent) said access to psychological support or counselling services. Approximately a quarter (26 per cent) said respite or wellbeing sessions, one in five (22 per cent) said they would value access to a rest space or garden, and about one in eight (13 per cent) identified the need for intensive trauma-informed support.
Sarah*, a nurse who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “It was my ultimate goal to become part of the NHS, it’s an incredible institution and I’m proud to work there. However, nothing could have prepared me for my role. The pressure is unrelenting. Our patients and their loved ones are upset and frustrated because they have been stuck in the waiting room for hours. I wish I could do more, but I have no power to change the situation. We barely get breaks. We’re expected to power through, finish your shift, go home, and ‘pull yourself together’ for the next day. On my days off, I’m too drained to do anything but rest. I don’t want to socialise; I just want to switch off. It becomes a vicious cycle: work, home, and then back to another shift. It’s taking a toll on my relationships too.
“Due to funding cuts, we’ve lost our wellbeing hub – a safe haven for staff to take a moment of respite. Since it closed, I’ve watched many colleagues go on sick leave due to mental health issues. Skilled and experienced staff have left because the pressure has become too much, leaving us severely short-staffed. It’s heartbreaking to see team members becoming patients themselves. We need more support for staff, including training managers in how best to support their teams– things can’t go on as they are.”
Adam Kay, former doctor and bestselling author of This Is Going to Hurt, said: “Perhaps the most miserable part of reading these statistics for me was how unsurprising they are. It has never been tougher to work in the NHS than today, and there is simply not the support for staff. I welcome any efforts to support the mental wellbeing of NHS staff – this is a system in crisis.”
Ellie Orton OBE added: “Thanks to the generosity of the public, we’ve already been able to help over a million NHS staff with access to counselling, wellbeing spaces, and other crucial initiatives. But, despite their impact, these types of initiatives can’t currently be funded indefinitely; and the need is growing. With many staff struggling and unable to access support, we’re urging everyone who can to continue backing our work, so we can keep backing the NHS workforce.”
NHS Charities Together is the national charity caring for the NHS. To find out more or donate, visit nhscharitiestogether.co.uk.
The integration of AI into healthcare systems around the world represents one of the most significant technological shifts of our time. However, realising this potential while safeguarding against risks requires urgent and thoughtful government action, writes Clive Hudson.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming healthcare systems around the world, offering unprecedented opportunities to improve patient outcomes, increase efficiency and reduce costs. However, as an innovator with over 40 years of experience in the field of AI, I believe we are at a critical juncture where governments globally must take decisive action to harness AI’s potential while mitigating its risks.
The current state of AI in healthcare is one of both promise and peril. While we’re seeing exciting applications emerge, from AI-assisted diagnostics to personalised treatment plans, there are also serious concerns around data privacy, algorithmic bias and the potential displacement of human healthcare workers. Governments worldwide, including the new UK administration, have a crucial opportunity and indeed a clear responsibility, to shape the future of AI in healthcare through thoughtful regulation and strategic investment.
The transformative potential of AI in healthcare
AI is already demonstrating its ability to revolutionise healthcare delivery. Machine learning algorithms are enhancing the accuracy of medical imaging analysis, natural language processing is streamlining clinical documentation and predictive analytics are helping identify at-risk patients before their conditions worsen. These applications are just the tip of the iceberg.
However, to fully realise AI’s potential, we need a robust regulatory framework that promotes innovation while protecting patients. A gold standard for global AI regulation in healthcare should prioritise:
Patient safety and privacy
Algorithmic transparency and accountability
Equitable access to AI-powered healthcare solutions
Interoperability and data sharing standards
Continuous monitoring and evaluation of AI systems
Such a framework would provide clarity for developers, build trust among healthcare providers and patients and create a level playing field for international collaboration.
The need for dynamic regulatory frameworks
Current regulatory approaches are woefully inadequate for the rapidly evolving landscape of AI. Traditional regulatory bodies move too slowly and often lack the technical expertise to effectively oversee AI technologies. We need a new paradigm.
I propose that governments need to create specialised AI regulatory authorities with a mandate to develop and enforce dynamic regulations. This authority would be empowered to adapt rules in real-time as technologies evolve, guided by core principles of:
Biodiversity
Ensuring AI systems support, rather than threaten, the rich diversity of life on our planet.
Sustainability
Promoting AI applications that contribute to long-term environmental and social well-being.
Transparency
Requiring clear explanations of how AI systems make decisions in healthcare contexts and establishing clear lines of responsibility for AI-driven outcomes.
Any nation’s regulatory body must be staffed by interdisciplinary experts who understand both the technical intricacies of AI and its broader societal implications. It should use AI technologies itself to stay ahead of the curve and offer proactive guidance to the healthcare sector.
Economic impact and strategic investment
The economic potential of AI in healthcare is staggering. By automating routine tasks, optimising resource allocation and enabling more personalised interventions, AI could dramatically reduce healthcare costs while improving outcomes.
However, realising these benefits requires strategic government investment and support. Governments should take a multifaceted approach, funding AI research and development in priority healthcare areas, incentivising AI adoption among healthcare providers, investing in robust data infrastructure and interoperability standards, and supporting AI startups and small businesses in the healthcare sector. These initiatives would create a fertile ecosystem for innovation, accelerating the development and implementation of AI solutions that can transform healthcare delivery and outcomes.
While pursuing these economic benefits, policymakers must remain vigilant about potential negative consequences, such as job displacement or the exacerbation of health inequalities. Government policies should aim to distribute the gains from AI equitably and provide support for workers transitioning to new roles.
Challenges and ethical considerations
As we push the boundaries of AI in healthcare, there are also significant ethical challenges to confront. Data security and patient privacy are paramount concerns. Current day AI systems require vast amounts of sensitive health data to function effectively, creating potential vulnerabilities to breaches or misuse.
Moreover, we must be vigilant about biases in AI systems. If trained on non-representative datasets, AI could perpetuate or even amplify existing health disparities. Governments must mandate rigorous testing and auditing of AI systems to detect and mitigate such biases.
Another crucial consideration is maintaining the human element in healthcare. AI should augment, not replace, human expertise and compassion. Policies should encourage the development of AI systems that enhance the capabilities of healthcare professionals rather than seeking to automate them out of the equation.
The concept of ‘super intelligence’ in healthcare AI
Looking to the future, we must grapple with the concept of ‘superintelligence’ in healthcare AI. By this, I mean AI systems that surpass human capabilities not just in narrow tasks, but in reasoning, problem-solving and even creativity across a wide range of knowledge domains.
Developing such systems requires a cross-disciplinary approach, drawing insights from fields as diverse as neuroscience, psychology, ethics and computer science. It is not simply a matter of scaling up existing AI models, but of fundamentally rethinking how we approach machine intelligence.
It is possible to draw important lessons from past technological advancements. The rapid rise of social media, for instance, brought unforeseen consequences for mental health and social cohesion. With healthcare AI, the stakes are even higher, making it essential to anticipate potential negative outcomes and build safeguards from the ground up.
A key aspect of superintelligent AI in healthcare would be its ability to reason ethically and align its goals with human values. This is no small feat and will require sustained collaboration between AI researchers, ethicists and healthcare professionals.
Recommendations for policymakers
First and foremost, governments should establish a specialised AI regulatory body. This agency should have the authority and expertise to develop and enforce dynamic regulations that keep pace with technological advancements. Such a body would be crucial in navigating the complex and rapidly evolving landscape of AI in healthcare.
Investing in AI education and workforce development is equally important. We need to build a workforce capable of developing, implementing and overseeing AI systems in healthcare. This requires significant investment in STEM education and interdisciplinary programs combining technical skills with healthcare knowledge. By fostering this talent pipeline, we can ensure that we have the human capital necessary to drive innovation and responsible AI adoption in healthcare.
Governments should also promote collaboration between academia, industry and government. Innovation thrives when ideas flow freely between sectors. Creating frameworks for data sharing, joint research initiatives and knowledge transfer between universities, private companies and public health institutions can accelerate progress and ensure that AI developments are aligned with real-world healthcare needs.
Embedding ethical guidelines in AI development is crucial. Ethics should not be an afterthought but an integral part of the process. Governments should mandate the integration of ethical considerations at every stage of the AI lifecycle, from design to deployment and ongoing monitoring. This approach will help build trust in AI systems and ensure they align with societal values.
Given the global nature of AI development in healthcare, supporting international cooperation is vital. Governments should work together to establish common standards, share best practices and address cross-border challenges such as data governance and algorithmic accountability. This collaborative approach can help create a more cohesive and effective global AI ecosystem in healthcare.
Prioritising explainable AI is another key recommendation. In healthcare, it is crucial that AI systems can explain their decision-making processes. Policymakers should incentivise the development of interpretable AI models and require transparency in high-stakes healthcare applications. This transparency will be essential for building trust among healthcare providers and patients.
Finally, governments should invest in robust testing and validation frameworks. Before AI systems are deployed in healthcare settings, they must undergo rigorous testing to ensure safety, efficacy and fairness. Establishing clear guidelines and supporting the development of standardised evaluation protocols will be crucial in ensuring that AI systems meet the high standards required in healthcare contexts.
Time for action
The integration of AI into healthcare systems around the world represents one of the most significant technological shifts of our time. Its potential to improve patient outcomes, increase efficiency and drive medical breakthroughs is immense. However, realising this potential while safeguarding against risks requires urgent and thoughtful government action.
We stand at a crossroads. With the right policies and investments, we can shape an AI-enabled healthcare future that is more effective, equitable and humane. But if we fail to act, we risk a future where AI exacerbates health inequalities, compromises patient privacy or makes critical decisions without adequate oversight.
My vision is for a healthcare ecosystem where AI enhances and extends human capabilities, where patients benefit from personalised and proactive care and where the fruits of AI innovation are shared equitably across society. Achieving this vision requires more than just technological prowess – it demands political will, ethical foresight and global cooperation.
The time for governments to act is now. By establishing dynamic regulatory frameworks, investing strategically in AI development and education and prioritising ethical considerations, we can ensure that AI becomes a powerful force for good in global healthcare. The decisions we make today will shape the health outcomes of generations to come. Let us seize this opportunity to create a healthier, more equitable world for all.
First Community Diagnostic Centre Value Partnership with Siemens Healthineers set to improve health outcomes across Teesside
By Integrated Care Journal
A first-of-its-kind seven-year Value Partnership will see Siemens Healthineers support Tees Valley Community Diagnostic Centre to deliver up to 104,000 checks, scans and tests a year on the high street.
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have announced the first Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) Value Partnership to be collaboratively delivered with Siemens Healthineers. The seven-year partnership will set a gold standard for CDCs, placing efficiency, scalability and patient care at its core. Once fully operational, the CDC is set to deliver up to 104,000 potentially lifesaving checks, scans and tests a year.
An impressive fleet of nine imaging systems will be provided, including a variety of CT, MRI, X-ray and ultrasound equipment from Siemens Healthineers. Support includes maintenance of the systems and additional services to bolster prostate cancer pathways and productivity including digital AI, consulting, workforce planning and education. The CDC represents an important investment to improve healthcare outcomes across the region where the proportion of people with major health conditions is at least 10 per cent higher than the national average.
“Integrating advanced imaging systems and AI solutions enables us to provide quicker, more effective diagnostics and treatment while the community setting brings essential services closer to our patients,” said Gail Griffiths, Diagnostic Services Lead for Responsive Care at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust.
Delivered by the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, the CDC supports efforts to address health inequalities in the area by ensuring a collaborative, community-based approach, and aligns with government ambitions to move more care away from hospital settings. Access to care outside of a hospital setting means patients can receive more convenient health checks closer to home. The central location in the heart of Stockton town centre alongside a library and leisure centre not only improves access to care, but also encourages a wider transformation of the high street.
The NHS’ 2024/25 priorities and operational planning guidance identifies the opening of new CDCs as a key action for systems, and the upcoming 10-Year Health Plan is expected to reaffirm the value of CDCs for delivering the government’s desire to further shift care in community settings.
Tees Valley CDC will benefit from digital AI solutions as part of the partnership. Utilising AI-Rad Companion from Siemens Healthineers, standardised reporting of the scans will enable quicker, more effective prostate cancer pathways, helping to support both productivity and patient throughput. Support from Siemens Healthineers Consulting includes a tailored transformation programme featuring a project to help increase the daily number of patients receiving MRI scans by up to 40 per cent.1 The partnership will also support upskilling the workforce with tailored training and education opportunities to meet the CDC’s unique requirements.
Among the range of CT, MRI, X-ray and ultrasound equipment from Siemens Healthineers are two SOMATOM X.cite CTs. Both systems are designed with patient experience in mind, equipped with the unique guidance of myExam Companion to automate results, as well as Tin Filter technology to optimise dose efficiency. Tees Valley CDC will also include two MAGNETOM Sola MRI systems, a YSIO X.pree X-ray and two ACUSON Sequoia ultrasound systems from Siemens Healthineers. The wide range of systems will support the delivery of care with the potential for one-stop clinics in the future for diagnostic tests conveniently based in the centre of Stockton.
Kelly Smith, Head of Radiology at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “In partnership with North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and Siemens Healthineers we are making a significant step forward in improving healthcare outcomes across the Teesside region. By bringing imaging technology and comprehensive AI solutions to a community setting, we’re not only enhancing diagnostic capabilities but also ensuring more accessible healthcare for our patients.”
“Together with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Siemens Healthineers we aim to transform healthcare delivery in our region and significantly improve outcomes, added Gail Griffiths.
Ghada Trotabas, Managing Director of Siemens Healthineers Great Britain & Ireland, stated: “This groundbreaking collaboration with North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the first of its kind for community diagnostics centres. Located in a high street setting, the centre will set a new benchmark for delivering efficient services outside of the hospital environment, bringing care closer to the patients who need it most.
“Our partnership ensures the CDC stays adaptable to the evolving needs of patients, contributing to the local healthcare delivery transformation initiatives across Teesside.”
1The statement by Siemens Healthineers Consulting described herein is based on projected results that may be achieved in the customer’s unique setting subject to all recommendations being implemented. Since there is no ‘typical’ hospital and many variables exist (e.g. hospital size, case mix, level of IT adoption) there can be no guarantee that other customers will achieve the same results.
Lead image caption: (From left to right) Lee Charlton – Regional Sales Manager at Siemens Healthineers Great Britain and Ireland, Gail Griffiths – Diagnostic Services Lead at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, Kelly Smith – Head of Radiology at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Neil Lincoln – Head of Imaging Sales at Siemens Healthineers Great Britain and Ireland, with the new SOMATOM X.Cite CT scanner from Siemens Healthineers.
This article was kindly supported by Siemens Healthineers.
How combining data, curiosity and operational expertise is improving immunisation uptake
By Iona Rees and Harry Canty-Davis
By Iona Rees, Head of Improving Immunisation Uptake, and Harry Canty-Davis, Service Development Manager, Public Health Services, NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (CSU).
Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions, but uptake is decreasing. It will require dedicated uptake improvement programmes to reverse this trend. Analysis and reporting of data is crucial in identifying vaccine eligibility and take-up, areas of highest need and potential barriers. However, in our experience of working with public health and NHS teams, operational insights – particularly around primary care – are essential to interpret that data accurately so that vaccination campaigns are appropriately targeted and resources are well spent.
Vaccinations reduce serious illness and hospitalisation, benefiting both individuals and health and care providers. The World Health Organization reports that childhood vaccines prevent between 3.5 and 5 million deaths every year across the globe and COVID-19 vaccines are estimated to have saved more than a hundred thousand lives in England alone. However, vaccination uptake was already in decline before the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the three years from 2020 to 2023, 67 million children globally were reported to have missed out on one or more vaccinations. NHS data for the UK showed that coverage for all 14 standard childhood vaccinations decreased in 2023/24, with uptake lower among children living in the areas of greatest deprivation.
To realise the benefits of better health and reduced burden on NHS services through improved immunisation uptake, it is necessary to understand what barriers exist and why, before deciding how best to direct staff and financial resources.
Key principles for vaccination programmes
Through NHS South, Central and West CSU’s work in delivering the National Immunisation Management Service, Child Health Information Services (CHIS) and wider operational and analytical support for public health, we’ve identified three core principles that can be applied across any geography to increase vaccination uptake while making best use of limited resources:
1. Making data meaningful
Regional screening and immunisation teams often tell us they are “drowning in data”. The challenge lies in making that data useful – getting, cleansing and interpreting the right data to enable robust, informed decisions. This requires regional teams, commissioners, GP practices and CHIS providers to collaboratively extract and process live data from operational systems to give a timely, accurate picture of vaccination status, rather than relying on information that may be several weeks out of date.
But we also need to ensure we are making recommendations and decisions on data that is accurate and complete. Building in mechanisms to fill gaps in data or improve how information is coded, such as insight reporting, can significantly improve an organisation’s ability to target the right cohorts in the right way. To improve quality of primary care ethnicity data in London, for example, we used a text message campaign to enable registered patients to select their ethnicity which was automatically coded into the practice record.
2. Understanding the issues
Being curious about what the data appears to show, and applying operational insights to inform interpretation, can make a significant difference to the direction – and ultimate success – of a vaccination programme. For example, when the East of England region was experiencing poor COVID-19 vaccine uptake among white working-class young males, it was easy to link this to typically low engagement with health services.
A contact centre campaign to call those who hadn’t responded to invitations revealed that the real issues were the high number of people on zero-hour contracts, who couldn’t afford to take time off work for appointments, and lack of access to transport to get to vaccination centres. By deploying vaccination buses to places of high employment, such as large warehouses and farms, take-up improved, benefiting individuals, health services and large regional employers who were able to avoid operational disruption.
Similarly, when COVID-19 uptake levels within the Chinese population in the North West were reported to be low, initial assumptions were that this was culturally motivated. By viewing the data through a primary care operations lens, however, we were able to discern that the issue was only among 20- to 30-year-olds, who had registered with practices near to universities, but had since moved areas or countries. It was a simple record-keeping issue rather than a more complex cultural issue, avoiding the need for a costly community engagement campaign.
3. Enabling multidisciplinary discussion
Real-time data and dashboards are useful tools but bringing together people to discuss and interrogate what the data means is incredibly valuable. Allowing time to talk though the ‘why’ helps to ensure that when organisations take action, it is productive and cost-effective. Useful questions to cover include: what are the key issues coming through? What are the continuing trends? Where is the evidence for this? What methodology is being used and is it sound? What could this mean operationally?
In the North West, the NHS England regional team uses monthly reports on the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination campaign to bring together public health, screening and immunisation colleagues to share and work through the analysis, making time for important dialogue and collaboration on potential issues and interventions. This approach has proved so positive that it has now been commissioned for the entire 0-5s childhood immunisation programme across Greater Manchester.
Using limited resources effectively
Vaccine promotion must be targeted in the most effective way possible to benefit our patients and communities. This is as much about the activity organisations stop doing as it is the plans they pursue. In applying the above principles, we are seeing organisations develop cost and resource-efficient strategies based on a sound understanding of both the data and how it applies operationally.
Using this approach, Blackburn with Darwen ICS discovered that clinic locations and language were the main barriers to flu vaccine uptake among 2- to 3-year-olds in deprived and multi-ethnic areas. Adopting a collaborative approach with regional, ICB and GP practice colleagues, including arranging weekend clinics and sending out information in multiple languages, has helped to increase flu vaccine uptake by 10 per cent in 12 practices.
Bringing curiosity and operational expertise to data analysis has also avoided additional investment in a resource-intensive ‘call and recall’ campaign to improve MMR vaccination rates in young adults and teenagers. Although the data initially suggested the campaign was working, further analysis showed this was due to vaccination records being retrospectively updated within GP practices rather than vaccine uptake increasing.
The Darzi investigation urges the NHS to focus on furthering the shift from ‘treatment to prevention’. Ensuring our core public health interventions are optimised is a solid first step, and these principles apply not just to vaccines but also to screening and health checks programmes. More than 12 months on from the launch of the first NHS vaccination strategy, there is still much learning and best practice to emerge. But in our drive to progress, we must take time to challenge assumptions and fully understand what the data is telling us so that interventions are resource-efficient and deliver results.
Evaluation of NHS Artificial Intelligence Lab identifies lessons to shape AI’s future in health and care
By Integrated Care Journal
Review finds that the NHS AI Lab has been integral in advancing and scaling AI development in healthcare, with early evidence demonstrating returns on investment for taxpayers. However, researchers flag challenges in scaling and adoption of AI, and the need for stronger alignment with NHS system needs.
Researchers from The University of Edinburgh have released a report highlighting the ‘transformative’ impact of the NHS Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab, a pioneering DHSC and NHS England initiative aimed at effectively integrating AI into the health and care sector.
The independent evaluation was conducted by a senior team of interdisciplinary researchers from The University of Edinburgh spanning public health, social science, informatics and business disciplines. With health economics support from NHS Arden and GEM Commissioning Support Unit, the report offers assessment of the NHS AI Lab’s achievements and challenges as well as identifying learning for future opportunities driven by AI.
The independent review was conducted between March and December 2024 using a range of evaluation techniques including document reviews, interviews, observations, analytics and outputs measurement. Key findings include:
Significant progress and learning: The NHS AI Lab has helped to advance AI development and scaling in healthcare, generating valuable insights and lessons that can help to shape future AI strategies for the NHS.
Return on investment: Early evidence indicates promising financial and patient care benefits, with health economics approaches demonstrating AI-driven technologies yielding substantial cost savings and improved health outcomes for some technologies supported by the NHS AI Lab. There is also early evidence of returns on investment for taxpayers.
Challenges in scaling and adoption: The report identifies barriers to widespread AI implementation and adoption, including procurement processes, integration with existing infrastructures and processes and the need for stronger alignment with NHS system needs.
Long-term impact: While some benefits are already evident, the full value of the NHS AI Lab’s work is expected to unfold over longer timeframes, requiring continued monitoring of emerging benefits and adoption processes.
Launched in 2019, with an initial investment of £143.5 million, the NHS AI Lab was established to accelerate the safe and effective adoption of AI in healthcare. Over the past five years, it has played a critical role in supporting and coordinating the development, testing and deployment of AI in health and care, as well as shaping regulatory frameworks. The evaluation explores the AI Lab’s contributions to AI policy, infrastructure and real-world applications, ensuring that the NHS remains at the forefront of AI-driven healthcare advancements.
One AI project cited implemented a diagnostic tool in a non-elective care setting across a range of regional networks within the NHS. The technology provided a set of decision support tools that aided frontline clinicians to make time critical treatment decisions, this resulted in efficiencies in longer term care and patient outcomes leading to a cost saving estimate of over £44 million across a cohort of 150,000 patients.
The evaluation report emphasises the need for sustained national support, strategic leadership and evidence-based decision-making to ensure AI’s full potential is realised in healthcare. It also highlights the importance of fostering positive collaboration between AI developers, policymakers and frontline healthcare providers.
Professor Kathrin Cresswell, lead researcher on the evaluation from The University of Edinburgh, commented: “The NHS AI Lab has been instrumental in positioning the UK at the forefront of delivering system-based change to promote AI-driven healthcare. This evaluation provides real-world empirical evidence and learning that can help to shape future efforts in the UK and internationally.”
Dom Cushnan, Director of AI, Imaging and Deployment, NHS England, commented: “The findings from this report will inform the ongoing development of AI strategies and approaches that can help the NHS to make the strategic shift from analogue to digital in health and care. Helping to shape a future where AI will enhance patient care, operational efficiency and overall healthcare outcomes.”
Rose Taylor, Executive Director Health and Care Transformation at NHS Arden & GEM, commented: “This evaluation demonstrates the important role that AI can play in the transformation of NHS services. The health economics approach taken in the review has enabled systems to demonstrate that AI technologies can deliver benefits for patients while simultaneously providing productivity and efficiency gains.”
