London NHS digital chief crowned Top 50 female leader in UK healthcare

Award follows significant growth in digital innovation in London’s NHS.

The 50 top leaders in the UK’s growing healthcare sector have been unveiled and the list features a leading champion driving digital innovation in London’s NHS.

Tara Donnelly, the Chief Executive of the Health Innovation Network (HIN), features in the annual BioBeat top 50 for the first time for her commitment and leadership in spreading innovation across the NHS in south London.

As one of the founding partners of DigitalHealth.London, Tara has helped innovative tech companies to spread their work across the NHS, saving the NHS money and improving patient care. DigitalHealth.London’s work includes supporting innovations such as DrDoctor, which has reduced missed appointments at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust by 40 per cent and has saved hospitals up to £3 million a year.

Other examples of innovations DigitalHealth.London has helped to roll out across the NHS include iPad apps, Perfect Ward and Perfect Kit Prep, which eliminate paperwork and improve auditing and have now been adopted across 70 London Ambulance Service stations. With 5,000 staff serving 8 million people, these innovations are helping ambulance staff to save crucial time and resources.

Produced by BioBeat, the report 50 Movers and Shakers in BioBusiness 2017 emphasises how diversity of thinking is critical to the success of the sector in the UK. The report also celebrates how women are driving innovation in healthcare. It comes within weeks of the Government announcing that, by 2023, the UK should be in the top quartile of comparator countries for the speed of adoption and the overall uptake of innovative medicines, devices and digital products.

Health Innovation Network Chief Executive Tara Donnelly said:

“I’m honoured to join this top 50 list of key players in UK healthcare at such an exciting time. We achieve these results by working with others so I’m delighted to see Academic Health Science Networks recognised, with my colleague Karen Livingstone from Eastern Academic Health Science Network in today’s list, as well as Elin Haf Davies, chief executive at Aparito, one of the digital health companies we are currently supporting.

“Our reports are a crucial source of information for health organisations and reveal just how fast innovation is happening across London to improve services for patients and save the NHS much needed cash. Whether it’s the London Ambulance service or hospitals such as King’s College and Guy’s & St Thomas’ innovating through smartphone apps, or wearable 3G and Bluetooth devices helping patients at Chelsea and Westminster and North West London CCGs, we are helping the NHS begin to make the most of digital technologies, and that is very satisfying.”

GSK Senior Vice President, UK & Ireland Pharmaceuticals, Nikki Yates, commented:

“Diversity of talent is critical to life sciences and it is great to see the contribution these women are making. 50 Movers and Shakers in BioBusiness 2017 celebrates leaders whose dedication is about innovation in the healthcare business. It is fantastic to see that these are female leaders, and that they are recognised for the progress they have made over the past year.”

Based in South London, Tara also plays a role on the national stage within the AHSN Network, which represents the 15 Academic Health Science Network organisations covering the population of England, speeding up innovation in health and care.

For copies of the report contact Ol Anscombe T: 01223 828 200 & for info on Tara Donnelly and the Health Innovation Network see healthinnovationnetwork.com

About BioBeat’s 50 Movers and Shakers in BioBusiness: The 50 Movers and Shakers in BioBusiness report has been released by BioBeat every autumn since 2014. The full report for 2017 is available to download

Read more examples of innovative care in DigitalHealth.London’s latest report: Digital Leadership in London’s NHS

DigitalHealth.London is a programme aiming to speed up the development and scaling of digital innovations across health and care, and pioneer their adoption by the NHS. DigitalHealth.London was established by London’s three Academic Health Science Networks – UCLPartners and Imperial College Health Partners as well as Health Innovation Network, with MedCity.
The DigitalHealth.London Accelerator is the first programme of DigitalHealth.London and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
For more info on DigitalHealth.London see its website DigitalHealth.London