Student Policy Initiative: Preparing for digital transformation in healthcare

Mr Richard Kerr is a world-renowned neurosurgeon. As the Royal College of Surgeons lead for the Future of Surgery, he chaired the independent commission on the Future of Surgery, which published its report in December 2019. Active in management, and trained as a civil and commercial mediator, he has been Lead Clinician of the Neurosurgical Department, Clinical Centre Chairman of the Radcliffe Infirmary and Chairman of the Relocation Steering Committee of Services to the John Radcliffe Hospital.

He has been a member of the Council of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons (SBNS) since 2003, serving as Treasurer and President. With interests in co-operation between the specialist surgical associations, audit and surgical outcome data, he was elected to the council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2013 and was re-elected in 2019 having served as Trustee from 2015-2017.

Professor Sudhesh Kumar, OBE is a non-executive director of NHS Digital, leading on big data, the research sector, clinical informatics and medical technology and life sciences strategy on the NHS Digital Board.

Professor Kumar is the Dean of the Warwick Medical School and Director of the Institute of Digital Healthcare at the University of Warwick. He is also a Non-Executive Director on the University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust Board.

He is a clinical endocrinologist by background with 24 years experience as a Consultant Physician in the NHS. His research interests include developing novel approaches, including medical technology to managing obesity and diabetes that has helped to transform and improve patient care and treatment.  He has published over 240 papers and 6 books on these subjects.

Dr Antanas Montvila is a board member of European and Lithuanian Junior doctors associations. Dr Montvila is a resident doctor in radiology at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Hospital and currently continuing his training at King's College Hospital, London.

As a board member of the European Junior Doctors Association, Dr Montvila is mostly responsible for the coordination of working groups dedicated to promoting digital health and medical leadership training in Europe. He was also an advisor for the National E-health Board affiliated with the Department of Health of Lithuania and participated and represented European Junior Doctors in numerous Digital Health events. He is also a co-founder of the project called "Golden Minutes" a non-profit, uniting more than 120 medical students and doctors to volunteer for one common goal to equip more than 9000 pupils with essential CPR skills across Lithuania.

Mr Iain O’Neil is the Director for Digital Transformation at NHSX, the unit to drive digital transformation and lead policy, implementation and change within the NHS.

He was previously the Deputy Director of Digital and Technology Strategy for the UK Department of Health. From 2014, he was the Digital Director for Nuffield Health. He was responsible for creating a digital vision which is now being translated into a series of development projects tackling a foundational plank of 'Connected Healthcare' and moving us closer to digitally-enabled clinical pathways from prevention and wellbeing through to diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

Ms Nadine Hachach-Haram is a surgeon, lecturer and clinical entrepreneur. She drew on her passion for innovation, education and global surgery to co-found Proximie, an augmented reality platform that allows doctors to virtually transport themselves in to any operating room, anywhere in the world, to visually and practically interact in an operation from start to finish.

Dubbed the 'future of surgery' by CNN, Proximie has gone from strength to strength and won multiple awards as well as being the main focus of the Foreign Press Association Science Story of the Year. It aims to revolutionize the delivery and education of healthcare by reducing the cost of that delivery while providing improved quality to the end patient, ensuring that every patient gets the best care, the first time, every time.