The Healthtech Podcast #439: What 35 years inside the NHS taught Cisco's healthcare lead, Declan Hadley
Mar 25, 2026
Declan Hadley, Cisco healthcare lead and former NHS health informatics director with 35 years' experience, discusses digitisation, interoperability and clinical IT. He talks about moving from nursing into informatics, how startups should engage trusts, local ownership of AI and balancing rapid innovation with patient safety. He also reflects on building regional AI capability and practical tips for working with the NHS.
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Nurse To IT Director Through An IT Course
- Declan described moving from mental health nursing into IT after taking an IT course at Whittingham Hospital.
- He recalled the hospital had only half a dozen computers and an old Novell network during his transition.
Digitisation Prevents Simple Harm
- Declan Hadley believes digitisation reduces harm by sharing basic clinical information across care settings.
- He gave examples where lack of shared medication records caused patients to receive duplicate meds and suffer harm between Blackburn and Preston A&Es.
Research Trusts Before You Pitch
- Declan tells startups to research trusts before pitching and align solutions to frontline needs.
- He advises reading board reports, patient safety reports and strategy documents to make conversations relevant.