Digital Innovation Hub at UCLH launched

A Digital Innovation Hub at UCLH will enable researchers and innovators across UCLH, UCL and third-party collaborators to work effectively together to solve problems that add value to patients, staff, UCLH and the wider NHS.

The Hub, currently in its start-up phase, will be led by Dr Stephen Cone, consultant anaesthetist and Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) at UCLH. His key interests are in how the use of technology and digital innovation can be applied in healthcare to improve patient outcomes as well as patient and staff experience.

Dr Cone said: “UCLH has been at the forefront of digital transformation in the NHS and I’m extremely proud to take up this new role to increase collaboration across our teams and external partners.

“The UCLH Digital Innovation Hub will accelerate discovery and deployment of digital innovations at UCLH and in the wider NHS. It will complement existing digital structures, which will continue to manage our mainstream systems at scale and incorporate successful innovations as they are proven.

“We know not all ideas can succeed and will develop a robust operating model that allows us to tackle problems at pace and assess, discard and move on, whilst being able to deliver into clinical and operational use those that are successful and capture organisational learning in both cases.” 

David Probert, UCLH Chief Executive said: “This is an exciting opportunity not just for UCLH and our patients, but for everyone interested in how technology and AI can enhance patient outcomes and experience. With the Digital Innovation Hub, UCLH will remain at the forefront for digital innovation in healthcare.”

Professor Bryan Williams, UCLH Director of Research and Director of the Biomedical Research Centre at UCLH said: “The Digital Innovation Hub will enhance our capability of bringing tools, developed through our research, safely into clinical practice and to create an environment of ongoing learning around all aspects of digital innovation. Whether through developing skills within a positive community of innovators and digital experts, internships, mentoring, or academic programmes.

Dr Gill Gaskin, Medical Director Digital Healthcare said: “This is excellent news for UCLH. As Chief Medical Information Officer, Dr Stephen Cone has been crucial to our clinically-led digital transformation programme, including the implementation of Epic.”