Digital leader with a wealth of local government and health experience becomes a member of the panel of IT professionals and industry experts that supports the specialist health tech agency and its Elevate health tech showcase initiative
The Highland advisory board has welcomed a new member – Dylan Roberts, a digital leader with almost 40 years’ experience of working in and across local government, health, and public services.
Dylan brings a wealth of experience to the board, which debates issues in digital health, advises the specialist health tech agency and its clients, and informs the Elevate series of showcase events, which take curated digital and med tech direct to trusts.
“I am interested in joining the Highland advisory board to get up to date on the views of a diverse range of people from around the country, and to contribute to their debates,” he said.
“I often think that if you get experts together, you can triangulate their views to get a clearer understanding of an issue, before coming to a view on how to address it.
“The Highland advisory board has an interesting spread of technical, operational and clinical expertise, and looks like a great forum for discussion and for sounding conclusions with the health tech sector.”
At Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Dylan served as a board member and led the digital, data and technology service for one of the UK’s largest integrated health organisations.
Previously, he was chief digital and information officer at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and before that he held a series of digital leadership roles in Leeds, that started at the city council but eventually spanned local government, health and care.
Dylan now works as an independent advisor and fractional CDIO, supporting the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, undertaking strategic task-and-finish assignments, mentoring IT leaders, and contributing to professional bodies.
“I hope that lots of things I have done in the past have been about trying to make the world a better place,” he added, “and that joining the Highland advisory board will enable me to continue to do that.
“I hope we will have some sort of influence; whether that’s on government, to improve policy or strategy, or the DDaT profession, to make good decisions for trusts, staff and patients, or on companies, to make products better for them.”
Dylan is joining the Highland advisory board during a difficult but exciting time. A new health and social care secretary has been appointed in the middle of a massive reorganisation of the NHS’ central and commissioning organisations.
At the frontline, trusts continue to face huge demand and financial pressures. Yet the government is committed to the 10 Year Health Plan, which envisages three shifts from hospital to community, treatment to prevention, and analogue to digital.
Operational, digital and clinical leaders must juggle optimising the investment in electronic patient records that has been made over the past few years, with implementing technology to improve productivity and this transformation agenda.
Mark Venables, chief executive of Highland, said: “After over 20 years of working with the health and med tech industry, the advisory board has helped us, our clients, and their NHS and social care customers to navigate this complex environment.
“The value of the board has been proven with the communications that we have developed for health tech, and with the launch of the Elevate health tech showcases.
“These have already enabled three trusts to inform their IT strategies, bring together senior leadership and innovative companies, and excite their staff about the art of the possible. We are constantly looking to strengthen the board, and I am very pleased that Dylan has agreed to join.”
Highland is a strategic growth partner for health tech organisations, that helps innovators succeed in a complex, changing market. Its Elevate health tech showcases are a collaborative venture with NHS trusts that take curated services, products and innovations on site, where and when staff are ready to engage. A showcase series is being developed for the autumn, for trusts located in the North West, South West and South East.
The Highland advisory board is comprised of experts who advise or work in the NHS, social and community care and local government, or hold senior positions at leading health tech suppliers.
Mark Venables added: “Dylan’s background in local government is already providing an interesting perspective on the challenges faced by the new administration, and the role of technology in addressing them.
“We look forward to hearing more of his views and those of the rest of the Highland advisory board as they help us to understand the rapidly changing health tech sector and better support trusts, social care and community providers and suppliers over the coming months.”
