The Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare

In this episode, recorded live at the Connected Health and Care Summit, hosts Liz Jones (Chief Customer Officer) and Darren Kilroy (Medical Director) sit down with Gareth Jones, Business Development Director at North London Partners Shared Services, an ICS-wide shared services collaborative spanning eight NHS trusts.Welcome to The Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare podcast, brought to you by RLDatix.Gareth's route into the NHS was anything but conventional. Growing up in Australia, he spent nearly a decade with the Virgin Group selling records and CDs before stumbling into a temporary staffing role at his local hospital after a voluntary redundancy — and never leaving. That background in retail, customer experience, and large-scale operations has shaped his approach to workforce management, automation, and collaborative working ever since.What You'll Learn:How Gareth's career in music retail and a chance visit to a job fair led him into NHS workforce managementWhy technology has freed his teams to spend more time with people, not lessHow North London Partners Shared Services built a corporate shared services model across eight trusts and why timing matteredWhat the NHS can learn from the decline of the mining industry about how to support people when roles changeHow AI and chatbots are beginning to change HR and workforce functions in the NHSWhy the NHS missed a recruitment opportunity after the pandemic and what needs to changeGareth's advice to anyone starting out: don't over-plan your career, just walk through interesting doorsGareth Jones is Business Development Director at North London Partners Shared Services, a shared services collaborative within the North Central London ICS. He is also a published author and contributing writer to music publications including Shindig magazine.👉 At RLDatix, we understand that health and care is a complex landscape where technology must work hand-in-hand with human expertise. In our podcast, we explore how our commitment to safety and operational efficiency can improve the daily experiences of health and care professionals whilst keeping patient safety at the core of everything we do. 🎉To find out more, visit rldatix.com 🏥Episode ResourcesGareth Jones on LinkedInNorth London Partners Shared Services WebsiteLiz Jones on LinkedinDarren Kilroy on LinkedInRLDatix WebsiteThe Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this episode, Liz Jones and Darren Kilroy sit down with Kevin Feely, Head of Talent Acquisition and People Digital Experience at Ramsay Health Care UK, an organisation with around 7,000 colleagues across 30 sites nationwide and part of a larger global footprint.Welcome to The Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare podcast, brought to you by RLDatix.Kevin's career began with a twelve-month placement in NHS recruitment at age 19, where he immediately started questioning processes and asking 'why?' This curiosity led him through roles at UCLH, Nuffield Health, and HCA Healthcare before joining Ramsay. His unique job title reflects a modern approach: combining talent acquisition with digital experience to ensure technology serves people, not the other way around.What You'll Learn:How Kevin's early NHS experience shaped his process-driven approach to recruitmentWhy Ramsay deliberately avoids AI screening in recruitment, and when that might changeThe lessons learned from a challenging Workday implementationHow COVID transformed recruitment from face-to-face to virtual overnightWhy change management is critical, and how lack of confidence can affect both sides of a vendor relationshipThe importance of data integration: making Workday and Optima work as one systemHow Loop and smart rostering will transform workforce managementWhy healthcare shouldn't always be at the forefront of technology adoptionKevin Feely brings over twenty years of healthcare recruitment and workforce experience, with expertise spanning NHS trusts, private healthcare providers, and pathology organisations. His role combines strategic talent acquisition with technology enablement, ensuring that people systems support rather than hinder the organisation's goals.👉 At RLDatix, we understand that health and care is a complex landscape where technology must work hand-in-hand with human expertise. In our podcast, we explore how our commitment to safety and operational efficiency can improve the daily experiences of health and care professionals whilst keeping patient safety at the core of everything we do. 🎉To find out more, visit rldatix.com 🏥Episode ResourcesKevin Feely on LinkedInRamsay Health Care UK WebsiteLiz Jones on LinkedInDarren Kilroy on LinkedInRLDatix WebsiteThe Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this inspiring episode, Liz Jones and Darren Kilroy sit down with Nicci Briggs, a dynamic NHS finance leader whose career spans nearly ten years as a Chief Financial Officer and fifteen years across the NHS.Welcome to The Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare podcast, brought to you by RLDatix.Nicci's remarkable journey encompasses early roles as a lifeguard and chicken factory worker, a mathematics degree with a focus on cryptography, and transformative work across local government, police services, and the private sector before finding her calling in NHS finance.What You'll Learn:How Nicci’s early career shaped how she approaches leadership and productivityWhy defining the problem matters more than jumping to solutionsHow Dragons’ Den events empowered staff to lead changeHow a locally designed GP funding change helped address health inequality in LeicesterWhy engaging clinicians in financial conversations improves outcomesHow the role of NHS finance is changing with AI and automationWhy optimism and staff experience sit at the heart of good leadershipNicci Briggs is currently working in a senior finance role at NHS England, bringing her wealth of experience from acute hospitals, integrated care boards, and transformation projects. As the granddaughter of miners from South Yorkshire, she's driven by the value of education and the power of public service to change lives.👉 At RLDatix, we understand that health and care is a complex landscape where technology must work hand-in-hand with human expertise. In our podcast, we explore how our commitment to safety and operational efficiency can improve the daily experiences of health and care professionals whilst keeping patient safety at the core of everything we do. 🎉To find out more, visit rldatix.com 🏥Episode ResourcesNicci Briggs on LinkedIn NHS England WebsiteLiz Jones on LinkedinDarren Kilroy on LinkedInRLDatix WebsiteThe Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Welcome to The Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare podcast, brought to you by RLDatix. In this compelling live episode from the Connected Health and Care Summit 2025, Liz Jones and Darren Kilroy are joined by Salli Pilcher, a Queen's Nurse and senior leader at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Trust.Salli's remarkable story encompasses both personal resilience, overcoming long COVID through cold water swimming—and professional innovation, as she leads community services across one of England's most geographically challenging regions.What You'll Learn:How cold water swimming helped overcome long COVID symptoms and created a community wellness movementThe health benefits of cold water immersion and its anti-inflammatory propertiesWhat integrated care really means in practice across rural, remote and coastal communitiesHow North Cumbria's structure bridges acute hospital services with community careWhy community nursing care has historically been undervalued and how technology is changing thatThe role of eCommunity in making invisible care visible and measuring unmet needHow digital tools like Teams have improved connectivity across remote geographical areasWhat "corridor care at home" means and how it compares to hospital corridor careThe importance of the multi-agency telephone coordination hub (MATCH hub) in preventing admissionsWhy the NHS ten year plan feels empowering for community servicesHow governance works across a large geographical integrated care organisationThe career opportunities and profound rewards of community nursingSalli Pilcher is a Queen's Nurse working in senior leadership at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Trust, where she oversees a vast portfolio including eight integrated care communities, six community hospitals, and numerous specialist services. Her area extends from Alston to the Solway Firth and down to South Copeland, serving diverse populations in rural, remote and coastal communities. She's also on the Queen's Nursing Institute long COVID network and has built a thriving cold water swimming community of over 50 people.👉 At RLDatix, we understand that health and care is a complex landscape where technology must work hand-in-hand with human expertise. In our podcast, we explore how our commitment to safety and operational efficiency can improve the daily experiences of health and care professionals while keeping patient safety at the core of everything we do. 🎉To find out more, visit rldatix.com 🏥Episode ResourcesSalli Pilcher on LinkedInNorth Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Trust WebsiteQueen's Nursing Institute WebsiteLiz Jones on LinkedinDarren Kilroy on LinkedInRLDatix WebsiteThe Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Welcome to The Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare podcast, brought to you by RLDatix. In this engaging live episode from the Connected Health and Care Summit 2025, Liz Jones and Darren Kilroy are joined by Faye Rose from the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust's medical e-rostering team. Faye brings a unique perspective, having transitioned from retail management to NHS workforce planning, and shares practical insights on implementing technology whilst maintaining the human connections that make change successful.What You'll Learn:How retail experience translates to NHS workforce management and what both sectors have in commonWhy building relationships with clinical teams matters more than technical specificationsThe different approaches needed when engaging consultants versus resident doctors with new technologyHow the 2016 junior doctor contract changes shaped medical rostering practicesThe role of Loop and mobile technology in improving staff engagement with rostering systemsWhy exception reporting is becoming more prevalent and what that means for trustsThe importance of understanding clinical specialties when implementing workforce technologyHow Teams and digital communication tools have transformed workforce planning supportFaye Rose works in the medical e-rostering team at George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust. Coming from an NHS family background but starting her career in retail management, she brings a fresh perspective to workforce planning. Her experience spans the transition period of the 2016 junior doctor contract changes, the establishment of medical e-rostering systems, and the ongoing challenge of engaging diverse clinical specialties with digital workforce solutions.👉 At RLDatix, we understand that health and care is a complex landscape where technology must work hand-in-hand with human expertise. In our podcast, we explore how our commitment to safety and operational efficiency can improve the daily experiences of health and care professionals while keeping patient safety at the core of everything we do. 🎉To find out more, visit rldatix.com 🏥Episode ResourcesGeorge Eliot Hospital NHS Trust WebsiteLiz Jones on LinkedinDarren Kilroy on LinkedInRLDatix WebsiteThe Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Welcome to The Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare podcast, brought to you by RLDatix. In this compelling live episode from the Connected Health and Care Summit 2025, Liz Jones and Darren Kilroy are joined by Duncan Astill, Partner in Regulatory, Public and Commercial Disputes at Mills & Reeve with over two decades of experience in healthcare law. Duncan's journey began unexpectedly in 1994 when a summer job pulling medical records led to his first inquest, setting him on a career path that would see him attend hundreds of inquests and develop unique insights into patient safety.What You'll Learn:Why healthcare organisations cannot rely on external regulators to tell them what's going onHow healthcare's focus on incident review differs from other industries' proactive risk preventionThe fundamental difference between clinical risk management and health and safety methodologyWhy governance processes often become about paperwork rather than genuine safety improvementHow risk scoring systems can distract from the real work of controlling hazardsThe role of blame culture in undermining learning and system improvementWhy most errors are system failures rather than individual failingsThe importance of documentation in clinical practice and litigation defenceHow maternity services exemplify persistent cultural challenges between professional groupsDuncan Astill works at Mills & Reeve, where he has built extensive experience in healthcare regulation, inquests, clinical negligence, and health and safety law. His cross-industry perspective, including work with builders' merchants and other sectors, provides unique insights into how healthcare could better approach risk management and safety culture.👉 At RLDatix, we understand that health and care is a complex landscape where technology must work hand-in-hand with human expertise. In our podcast, we explore how our commitment to safety and operational efficiency can improve the daily experiences of health and care professionals while keeping patient safety at the core of everything we do. 🎉To find out more, visit rldatix.com 🏥Episode ResourcesDuncan Astill on LinkedInMills & Reeve Website Liz Jones on LinkedinDarren Kilroy on LinkedInRLDatix WebsiteThe Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Explore the dynamic balance between healthcare productivity and patient safety. Discover how small, proactive steps can drastically reduce patient harm and the importance of effective job planning among clinicians. Hear insights on the changing nature of outpatient care and how technology can optimize performance. Learn about the critical collaboration needed between finance and clinical teams to enhance overall quality and the shared responsibility of all stakeholders in making healthcare safer and more efficient.

Welcome to The Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare podcast, brought to you by RLDatix. In this engaging live episode from Patient Safety Congress, Liz Jones and Darren Kilroy are joined by Aidan Fowler, National Director of Patient Safety at NHS England. Aidan brings a unique perspective to patient safety, having transitioned from practising colorectal surgeon to leading national initiatives focused on learning, improvement and culture.What You'll Learn:How Aidan's surgical background and family's legal tradition shaped his approach to patient safetyWhy healthcare culture has evolved from normalising errors to actively preventing themThe "light bulb moment" when teams realised avoidable harm doesn’t have to happenHow siloed education creates barriers to effective teamwork in clinical practiceWhy maternity care exemplifies the need for integrated multi-professional collaborationThe importance of moving from reactive, bureaucratic safety processes toward proactive, learning culturesHow public value should drive healthcare decision-making and change initiativesWhy self-improving service lines embedded in governance structures are the future of qualityAidan Fowler currently serves as National Director of Patient Safety at NHS England, leading initiatives to strengthen safety culture and improve practice across the health service. His journey from the operating theatre to national leadership demonstrates how clinical experience combined with improvement science can drive meaningful systemic change.👉 At RLDatix, we understand that health and care is a complex landscape where technology must work hand-in-hand with human expertise. In our podcast, we explore how our commitment to safety and operational efficiency can improve the daily experiences of health and care professionals while keeping patient safety at the core of everything we do. 🎉To find out more, visit rldatix.com 🏥The Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

In this insightful discussion, James Titcombe OBE, a patient safety advocate shaped by the tragic loss of his son, dives deep into the concept of patient safety, defining it as striving for zero avoidable harm. He highlights the significant progress made since the Morecambe Bay inquiry, yet underscores ongoing cultural challenges in maternity care. James advocates for teamwork and multidisciplinary approaches to enhance outcomes while addressing stark inequalities in maternal care. His call for a shift towards proactive problem sensing resonates as he emphasizes the shocking costs of avoidable harm.

Welcome to The Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare podcast, brought to you by RLDatix. In this live episode from NHS ConfedExpo, Liz Jones and Darren Kilroy are joined by Lord Victor Adebowale, Chair of NHS Confederation, and Jason Saridis  Programme Director of People Scaling at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust. They discuss the transformation of HR from administrative functions to people-centered services, addressing workforce fears around AI, and the importance of organisational culture in driving meaningful change.What You’ll Learn:How to transform HR from tedious administrative tasks into meaningful people servicesHow AI can support workforce management without replacing human connectionThe importance of involving staff in technological transformation rather than imposing itWhy organisational culture matters more than written values and mission statementsHow collaboration across NHS trusts can drive innovation and shared learningThe value of looking outside healthcare to learn from industries like retailLord Victor Adebowale, CBE, is Chair of the NHS Confederation, where he champions collaboration across health and care systems to improve outcomes for patients and communities. With a background as Chief Executive of Turning Point, he has decades of experience leading services for people with complex needs, including mental health, substance misuse, and learning disabilities. His work focuses on tackling health inequalities, strengthening social care, and driving innovation in service delivery to ensure the NHS and wider healthcare sector can meet the needs of the most vulnerable.Jason Saridis is the Programme Director of People Scaling in Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust. His work focuses on reimagining HR functions through digital tools, automation, and people-centered approaches. With experience spanning workforce management, AI implementation, and organisational culture change, Jason is passionate about creating meaningful work experiences that align with why people chose to work in healthcare.👉 At RLDatix, we understand that health and care is a complex landscape where technology must work hand-in-hand with human expertise. In our podcast, we explore how our commitment to safety and operational efficiency can improve the daily experiences of health and care professionals while keeping patient safety at the core of everything we do. 🎉To find out more, visit rldatix.com 🏥Episode ResourcesJason Saridis on LinkedInRoyal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust WebsiteLord Victor Adebowale on LinkedInNHS Confederation WebsiteLiz Jones on LinkedInDarren Kilroy on LinkedInRLDatix WebsiteThe Connection: Where Tech Meets Humanity in Healthcare is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so