Digital innovation is becoming an increasingly important aspect of a healthcare professional’s day to day role. For some, digital can become a passion – and how they choose to take this interest forward can shape their future careers. In the NHS, in healthcare, and in industry, countless opportunities exist for both clinical and non-clinical staff to get involved in innovation and to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. 

This webinar will help healthcare professionals to better understand the digital healthcare landscape, offering guidance on career pathways in health innovation within and beyond the NHS, and support participants to transform their professional development and contribute meaningfully to healthcare's ongoing digital transformation.

Experts:

• Azeem Alam, Specialist Registrar in Clinical Radiology, NHS
• Shaobin Wu, Consultant Histopathologist, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
• Olivia Burns, Founder & Innovation Consultant, Hypoplas

🔍 What the Webinar Covered

• Practical pathways for NHS staff to enter digital health innovation

• Real-world stories from clinicians and entrepreneurs who’ve made innovation their specialty

• Actionable advice on building start-ups, scaling within or beyond the NHS, and developing health tech solutions

🎤 Key Speakers & Insights

👩‍⚕️ Olivia Burns – Founder, Hyper Plus

• Former NHS patient turned entrepreneur, inspired by personal health journey

• Developed an award-winning, dignified hospital gown through Innovate UK and NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme

• Advocates for patient-centric design: “Bring end-users into your innovation process from the start.”

• Practical tip: Build detailed, realistic NHS implementation plans to improve uptake

👩‍⚕️ Dr. Shelvin Wu – Consultant Histopathologist & Co-Founder, C Prior

• Identified diagnostic delays in pathology and developed an AI triage tool to speed up colorectal cancer diagnoses

• Joined the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme to gain vital innovation and business skills

• Emphasized importance of: team collaboration, patient voices, stakeholder engagement, and coaching for mental resilience

👨‍⚕️ Dr. Azi Ahamad – Radiology Registrar & Co-Founder, Byte Medicine

• Built an edtech company supporting 200,000+ medical students globally during the pandemic

• Now supports digital health start-ups and is part of a £60m accelerator programme

• Advice: “Don’t wait to feel ready. Use what you know, learn on the go, and collaborate relentlessly.”

💡 Top Takeaways for NHS Innovators

• You don’t need to know everything to start—most learned on the job

• Postgraduate study can help, but isn’t essential (MBA, digital health, AI options recommended)

• Find your community—Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, Innovate UK, DigitalHealth.London

• Explore outside the NHS too—piloting tech abroad can generate valuable real-world data

• Balance ambition with realism—implementation in the NHS can take years, not months

🛠️ Resources & Opportunities Mentioned

• NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme – mentorship, networking, and skills-building

• Innovate UK / Growth Hubs – funding and business development support

• Topol Digital Fellowships – for NHS staff leading digital transformation

• Byte Labs – edtech for clinical professionals entering pharma and health tech

📣 Final Message

“The NHS needs you to innovate.”
Innovation starts with people. Use your clinical insight to solve real problems and create meaningful change.

Sign up for our next webinar here