NHS Digital Academy CEO Rachel Dunscombe takes up role at KLAS Research

The CEO of the NHS Digital Academy has taken up a role at healthcare IT data and insights company KLAS Research.

Rachel Dunscombe is joining KLAS’ Arch Collaborative as its global (non-US) leader and senior evangelist.

The collaborative is made up of 170 healthcare organisations across 10 countries and seeks “to benchmark and improve electronic medical record usability and clinician satisfaction”.

Dunscombe has led the NHS Digital Academy since its inception. She is also the director of digital at the Northern Care Alliance (NCA) NHS Group.

The group brings together Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust – one of NHS England’s global digital exemplars (GDEs) – and its “fast follower”, The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. The two organisations share a chief executive in Sir David Dalton.

KLAS confirmed that Dunscombe would be retaining her role as CEO of the Academy and would have “a part-time strategic role with the NCA”. It has not been confirmed whether that means she is leaving her position as director of digital.

On top of her roles at NCA and the NHS Digital Academy, Dunscombe is also a member of Matt Hancock’s Healthtech Advisory Board.

Dunscombe said: “The Arch Collaborative is making great strides in bringing best practices to clinician EHR training. I want to help them improve EHR usability and clinician satisfaction worldwide.”

She has been a member of the KLAS Advisory Board since 2015.

Taylor Davis, a KLAS vice president, said: “Rachel has raised the bar for digital health education and EHR effectiveness in the UK and globally.

“All of us will benefit from her knowledge, experience and great passion for improving healthcare.”