Winners of Digital Health Networks Awards 2024 announced

The winners of the 2024 Digital Health Networks Awards were announced following a ceremony at Summer Schools in Durham on 17 July.

The awards, which opened for applications in April, shine a light on the best and brightest digital leaders shaping the future of healthcare within the NHS.

They celebrate innovation, dedication, and excellence across the healthcare landscape, recognising and celebrating the remarkable achievements and contributions of individuals and teams who are driving transformation through digital technologies.

The finalists, who were revealed at the beginning of July, were judged by representatives from the Digital Health CCIO, CIO and CNIO Networks Advisory Panels and ICS Digital Council.

They were presented with their awards at a ceremony at Digital Health Summer Schools 2024 at Durham University.

The winners are:

Outstanding Team – Great North Care Record

The Great North Care Record (GNCR) was recognised for revolutionising patient experiences, safety and overall outcomes across the north east and North Cumbria.

The work carried out and the decisions made by the team behind the shared care record have enabled life-saving patient information (including diagnoses, medication, hospital admissions and treatments) to be shared securely to ensure patients receive the care they need more quickly. 

The NHSE London – Digital Urgent Emergency Care and Integrated Urgent Care team were also highly commended by the judges.

Rising Star – Tosin Akinlabi

Akinlabi is a clinical safety officer at University Hospitals of Northamptonshire. In her role, she has completely rewritten the NHS group’s clinical safety policy and associated templates and documents.

Her achievements include was writing the book  ‘An Introduction to Digital Nursing’. She is also part of the Midlands Shared Decision Making Council and a recent Shuri Fellowship digital graduate.

The judges described Akinlabi as “someone heavily invested in the digital agenda, with a current focus on digital clinical safety, an aspect so important but often overlooked”.

CIO of the Year – Natasha Chare

Chare is group chief digital information officer (CDIO) at University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN). Appointed in February 2023, she became one of the youngest female CDIOs in the country.

She has led the UHN Digital team through a challenging restructure and worked tirelessly to ensure the organisation retains six service lines.

Chare has also empowered the CCIO and digital training and engagement lead to co-chair a new digital communications and engagement group and also opened all four of the NHS group’s digital roadshows since December 2023 with around 800 people in attendance.

CCIO of the Year – Ramandeep Kaur

Kaur is group CCIO at UHN who is recognised as an enthusiastic pharmacist building a career in digital. She is believed to be the first pharmacist in the country to become a CCIO for two hospitals.

Passionate about supporting the next generation of digital leaders, she is currently mentoring five colleagues on the Digital Health CCIO mentoring programme and an additional three mentees outside of this programme.

CNIO of the Year – Simon Noel

Simon Noel is CNIO at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and current chair of the Digital Health CNIO Advisory Panel. With more than 30 years of experience in nursing practice, education, research and leadership, he is an active member of several professional associations.

As CNIO at Oxford, he has led many initiatives that have enhance patient quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of nursing care and patient outcomes, including embedding the EPR and developing and deploying SafetyX. He is also a mentor for other CNIOs and future digital leaders.

Posthumous award for Outstanding Achievement – Glenn Winteringham

Winteringham, the long-serving CIO at the Royal Free Hospital, was known for his inspirational leadership, unstinting kindness, and ability to deliver digital transformation.

He led the digital development at the Royal Free Group of hospitals, the largest hospital group in London, over several decades, beginning as CIO at Whittington Hospital.

In May, Winteringham sadly passed away after being diagnosed with cancer.

One colleague said of him: “Glenn’s unwavering commitment was always focused on one central question: ‘How can IT improve patient care?’ This mission guided all his professional endeavours and left a lasting legacy in the healthcare community. 

“Even as he battled cancer with incredible strength and resilience, Glenn’s dedication never wavered. His courage and determination were an inspiration to all who knew him”.

Colleagues and friends paid tribute to Winteringham last month in a piece published by Digital Health.

The Digital Health Summer Schools 2024 event is exclusively available for members of Digital Health Networks, brings together CCIOs, CIOs and CNIOs, together with current and aspiring digital health leaders for CPD-accredited content, networking and best practices exchange.