With a new digital leadership team at NHS England and the NHS certain to be centre stage in the coming General Election what are the key themes of continuity and change NHS IT and digital health. Join us for an interactive session with the NHSE digital leadership team leadership team.
Chair: Jon Hoeksma
CEO, Digital Health
Jon is the founder and CEO of Digital Health, the health IT B2B news, research and events publisher and professional networks specialist. He previously co-founded and edited eHealth Insider, and is a leading journalist, commentator and thought leader on UK health IT. In 2014 he led the trade sale of eHealth insider to Informa Plc.
Achievements of note include: founding the UK CCIO movement, from launch of CCIO campaign in 2011 to development and growth of CCIO Networks and community; the development of Digital Health Networks – centred on CCIO and CIO Networks – as the leading independent online best practice community of NHS IT professionals – 5,000+ members as of November 2020; plus growing Digital Health Summer Schools into the premier health IT leadership event in UK; and launching Digital Health Rewired in March 2019 as the most dynamic and compelling Expo in digital health space.
Dr Vin Diwakar
interim national director of transformation, National Transformation Directorate, NHS England
Dr Vin Diwakar is the Interim National Director of Transformation, leading the NHS’s work nationally in transforming the way that care is delivered, enabling the access to best care and outcomes for people that the NHS serves and the people who work in it.
Prior to this role Vin was the Medical Director for Transformation in NHS England, providing clinical leadership to improvement and transformation. Additionally while in this role, Vin led teams supporting improvement and transformation of a number of different clinical areas including diagnostics, urgent, emergency, acute and planned care, and was responsible for improving clinical effectiveness.
Formerly Vin provided clinical leadership to London’s health and care system, and was a key member of the multi-professional regional team which led the capital through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vin has been in the NHS for 33 years, working as a consultant paediatrician in Birmingham.
Prof Erika Denton
interim national medical director for transformation, NHS England
Erika is a consultant radiologist and was Medical Director in Norwich from 2018 to 2023. She was appointed to join the team of National Medical Directors in September 2023 with an extensive portfolio in the Transformation Directorate including clinical leadership of digital programmes, artificial intelligence, research and pathway transformation.
Erika’s appointment to the role of Medical Director in 2018 followed 2 years as Associate Medical Director.
As National Advisor on Imaging to NHS Improvement & NHS England Erika provided advice from 2016 – 2020. She convened and chaired the National Imaging Optimisation and Productivity Delivery Board. She lead work to improve imaging services across England and continues to work with NHS Digital on implementation of artificial intelligence in imaging.
Erika Denton, Jon Hoeksma, Vin Diwakar
