Cara Afzal is currently Programme Director for Data and Digital, Health Innovation Manchester (HInM). In her previous roles, Cara has led initiatives across the acute, mental health, primary care, and local government sectors. She has successfully managed multi-disciplinary teams and collaborated with industry, academic, and NHS partners to develop and deliver innovative transformation programmes. Cara has a keen interest in innovation and is passionate about translating evidence into practice, integrated care and patient empowerment.

She has led significant projects involving the development and deployment of large-scale innovations. Most notably, she was involved in a large-scale Electronic Patient Record (EPR) deployment, recognised as one of the largest digital transformations programmes undertaken within the NHS. Cara has also served as Divisional Director for Medicine, Outpatients, and Complex Health in the acute sector, which has expanded her understanding of the challenges faced by frontline staff.