The CNIO Interview: Jackie Murphy, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Sliding into the CNIO Interview hotseat this time around is Jackie Murphy, chief nurse and CNIO at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust – not to mention a winner at this summer’s Digital Health Awards. She tells us why nurses are so central to healthcare digitisation, why fragmented systems are the biggest barrier to transformation, and why Kathy Burke would play her in the film of her life.

Why did you become an NHS CNIO?

I chose to include the CNIO role in my portfolio as deputy director of nursing as I recognised the importance of digital healthcare and informatics to the improvement of safety and patient experience. I wanted to be at the forefront of change and to develop new skills and understanding. I felt that my leadership role taking colleagues through the biggest change programme would be vital for success.

Why do you think the role of CNIO is so important within the NHS and the nursing community?


Technology is at the forefront of enabling and enhancing care. Nurses are the biggest workforce and have a real opportunity to put the patient at the centre whilst innovating.

Within your organisation, what is the most significant digital achievement of the past 12 months?

Just over a year ago now we implemented an electronic patient record across the majority of our wards, departments and services. Our EPR is a single platform across two acute trusts so we worked collaboratively – our organisation is actually two organisations!

I am pleased that we are progressing at pace with the development of our patient portal. At Calderdale and Huddersfield we have just gone live with blood tracking, again taking a Big Bang approach that I feel has seen us leading the way nationally with this technology.

What will be the most significant of the next 12 months?

The optimisation of our EPR. The next steps we are currently planning are improvements for cardiology, voice recognition and Scan4Safety [the use of barcode technology].

What’s the biggest barrier to being a more effective CNIO?

The role needs to be recognised as a senior leadership role that includes strategy.

What’s the biggest barrier the NHS faces overall in achieving digital transformation?

Like most colleagues I believe that overcoming multiple systems and creating true integration of a health and social record is a barrier. Overcoming ‘technical hitches’ quickly will help to win hearts and minds. We must also be of the mindset that technology and the ability to access and utilise reliable real time data enables improvement.

If you have one piece of advice for other NHS CNIOs, what would it be?

Keep the patient central and never lose sight of the fact that implementing technology is about people, change and behaviours.

Who in the NHS do you admire the most and why?

I admire what might be considered unsung heroes – they may not be in the limelight but without them there would be no innovation and improvement.

If you were given £30 million to spend on digital transformation within your trust, where would that money go?

I would spend money on developing a user-friendly integrated modern record. I’d also spend money on ensuring colleagues have the time to be central to design and build, have more time on training, and are supported in the behaviour changes and quality improvement associated with digital health.

What is the most over-hyped digital innovation in health?

I’m not sure about over-hyped but I do think we need to ensure that technology keeps pace with a transforming NHS.

What is the most under-rated digital innovation in health?

I’m really excited about technology associated with genomics and population health.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had and why?

Not sure I’ve had a really bad job. I was in a role for short time that didn’t challenge me – that’s when I realised I thrive on stress and challenge.

If you could invite three people, alive or dead, to dinner who would they be?

My dad, catch up on how he’s getting on; Stephen Fry, funny, articulate and intelligent; and my other half could come along too. That would be interesting…

What’s the background image on your home computer?

My newly-married son and my new daughter-in-law.

What’s your favourite piece of technology at home and why?

Just love my iPad. My husband says I use it like a magazine – constantly looking, exploring and purchasing!

If you could have any other job, what would it be?

That’s easy: I’d manage a football team.

In a film of your life, who would play you?

Someone like Kathy Burke… She has an opinion.