Movers and shakers news round up

Our latest movers and shakers round-up covers Will Smart’s new appointment at DXC as well as movements at South Central Ambulance Service, Leeds Teaching Hospitals and Big Health.

Will Smart has joined DXC Technology UK and Ireland as the company’s global director of client engagement, healthcare and life sciences.

Smart was the chief information officer of the NHS in England until recently – he announced he was stepping down from the role in June 2019 and finalised his departure at the end of last month.

It came as part of the wholesale shake-up of national NHS IT leadership resulting from the merger of NHS England and NHS Improvement and creation of NHSX.

As NHS CIO, Smart was most closely associated with the Global Digital Exemplar and the LHCRE programmes.

Jill Lanham has been appointed to the new role of director of digital of South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS)

Lanham joined SCAS in May 2019 as the trust’s transformation programme director, a programme of work which has focused on the management of the Global Digital Exemplar programme.

Lanham has led the delivery of the full range of IT services such as strategy development, service desk, technical infrastructure, applications, IT security, information governance, development, testing, training, telephony, projects and programmes.

Prior to joining SCAS, Jill spent five years at United Response as director of IT and business change and two years as head of IT at Luton & Dunstable NHS University Hospital. She has also held positions in IT at housing associations, local authorities and shared services providers.

Speaking of her appointment, Lanham said: “I have really enjoyed my time at SCAS so far and I am looking forward to taking on the role of director of digital. I am excited to continue to build on the strong foundations which have been established and help SCAS to continue to be at the forefront of digital innovation in the sector.”

Dr Paul Jones has been appointed as chief digital and information officer (CDIO) at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Jones joins the Trust from BUPA, where he has held a number of senior IT roles since joining them in 2016. During this time, he established a global security operations centre and was also responsible for the Group’s enterprise architecture.

Previously, Jones worked across the public and private sector with roles including group CIO of Serco and as a director within the public sector practice at KPMG Consulting.

He was also CTO for the NHS in England, where he was the senior responsible officer for the Spine and N3 as well as responsible for the clinical coding service, Information Governance Toolkit and the enterprise and solution architecture for many national programmes.

Commenting on his appointment, Jones said: “I am delighted to be joining Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust at an exciting time in its digital journey.  With ambitions to become a digital hospital, it is great to see the focus and importance placed on improving the experience of both patients and staff through impressive digital initiatives.

“I am looking forward to learning more about the challenges and opportunities and I have been blown away by the people I have met so far. The Leeds Way culture shines strongly across the organisation.”

Former NHS Medical Director, Sir Bruce Keogh, has joined the Advisory Board of digital therapeutics company, Big Health, to drive forward the adoption of evidence-based, mental health digital solutions within the NHS.

The London and San Francisco-based company behind Sleepio – the digital sleep improvement program – has brought Sir Bruce on board to provide strategic advice on expanding its availability within the NHS.

Knighted in 2003 and currently Chair at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Sir Bruce joins Big Health after serving as the most senior doctor in the NHS for over a decade.

Commenting on his appointment, Sir Bruce said: “The value of digital therapies is being increasingly recognised, not just because they work when based on sound evidence, but because they are very easily accessible when needed.

“That’s why I’m pleased to be joining Big Health who have developed Sleepio according the highest standards of clinical evidence and scientific rigour to underpin a proven, effective and safe digital therapy which addresses a remarkably common problem.”

Want to tell us about a new CCIO, CIO or CNIO appointment within your NHS organisation? Email: owen@digitalhealth.net