NHS tech star named as one of the top leaders under 30 by Forbes

The head of emerging technology at Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust has been listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the 30 top leaders under the age of 30 in the healthcare category across Europe.

Tremaine Richard-Noel was named in Forbes’ Science and Healthcare category for his work in his current role which includes helping to advance the use of robotic process automation.

As well as taking on the role of head of emerging technology, Richard-Noel is also programme director of the trust’s Automation Accelerator, an innovation programme with a dedicated team focused on encouraging and supporting automation adoption throughout the organisation.

In March 2020, he developed a digital automation for 24/7 oxygen monitoring during the Covid-19 pandemic. In just 12 hours, and by working through the night in conjunction with technology company Automation Anywhere, the team created an automatic process which allowed them to monitor the oxygen levels 24 hours a day without human intervention.

Although there were no anticipated issues with the supply, this automation meant that the levels could be monitored without the need for human interaction, allowing staff to be redeployed elsewhere in the hospital to support during the pandemic.

Prior to his current role, Richard-Noel served within the NHS as both a shadow non-executive director and a deputy lead governor in acute and mental health trusts.

Following an initial pilot funded by NHSX, enabling a level of free support to kickstart some trusts on their journey, Richard-Noel is now working on further automation advancements within the NHS, including an automation tool to reduce waiting times for patients.

Speaking about the news, Richard-Noel said: “Waking up to find out I’d received such a prestigious honour makes me and my family very proud.

“I’m excited by the potential of automation within the NHS and the benefits we can provide to both patients and staff across the country.”