The Briefing Room - Ministry of Health Tech

It's out! Grab a cup of tea and cookie - it's a special feature length episode as we drive to HLTH Europe, Amsterdam. Join a stellar cast from across the best of British health tech as we circumnavigate pirates, sailors, starlings, cyclists, mystery boxes and dutch pronunciation to reach our rustic bedroomless houseboat, throw a party with Digital Care, sail the River Amstel and attend Europe's la...

With Wes Streeting’s departure as Health and Social Care Secretary and the situation over Palantir’s access to patient records going nuclear, we’ve got a bumper episode for you. We’re joined by the HSJ to go back to the beginning with the Federated Data Platform debacle and, with agentic AI for health offers booming from all the big players, Director of Health Policy at the Tony Blair Institute, D...

As the highs of our Spring Fling begin to subside, we’re talking neighbourhood health, it’s the only show in town right now, but how is healthtech assisting ICBs in making the transition? We’re also asking where health tech meets the transformational new Tobacco and Vapes Bill out this month and, with the latest cohort of UK innovators just back from visiting the Canadian health system, we’re look...

We’re live in Birmingham at Rewired 2026 - catching-up with a host of health tech SMEs and network members, getting the lowdown on the recent changes to DTAC, hearing the inside track on one of the biggest deployments of Ambient Voice Technology in the NHS and running a mini masterclass on dealing with Imposter Syndrome. We’ve got all the details about the next Ministry networking event, the Sprin...

We’re live in Yorkshire at the HETT Leaders Summit 2026, experiencing local focus with national relevance - and Damian is well out of his Essex comfort zone. Find out more about the big changes at NICE in the way they will be assessing, and actually mandating, health technology in the same way they do pharmaceuticals. Plus, we’re covering more about mental health tech, like we promised, and we’ve...

It might be wet outside, but it’s been dry January, so we’re finding out where health tech meets alcohol dependency. We’ve got news about upcoming Ministry networking events and we’re uncovering the secrets of Rewired - it’s an unmissable date in the health tech calendar, but where are the afterparties happening and who’s giving out free coffees? Author, journalist, academic and policy influencer...

After a year of ups and downs it’s time for some Christmas joy in the briefing room - we celebrate some of the things that are working really well in health tech, like digital first GP practices of the future and heart-warming music tech for people with dementia. We ask why the NHS app is suddenly sticky, review all the achievements of the year gone by, reveal what’s coming-up next year, and hear...

Damian’s been at the House of Commons pitching three ideas for reform in the health tech market - and we’re joined by former Health Minister Lord James Bethell who’s helping us rip it all to pieces. As 2025 draws to a close, an esteemed panel of innovators helps guide us on plans for how the industry needs supporting in 2026 - plus, for a bit of light relief, we have the behind the scenes bloopers...

Scrummy mummies, zombies, AI driven sales intelligence for start-ups, phobia-busting extended reality, Canada’s health tech market and the boringly named NHS Medium Term Plan. We enjoy a visit from health tech megamind Liam Cahill, surgically dissect our Halloween networking event and deliver an unmissable offer of free support to help you apply for Pitchfest at Rewired 2026. What’s not to like ab...

Having learned yesterday about thinking "pathway not product", developing informed game plans and how to build coalitions instead of concerns, the team are back for the final episode. More expert guests help to explain how to ensure there is demand for change and how to link policy to problem solving. They question when is the right time to call an implementation complete and discuss how to amplif...

More than a decade of innovating in the NHS has shown the Health Innovation Network what it takes to implement new ideas successfully. Their “Seven Conditions for Successful Innovation” is a guide for health tech suppliers and NHS partners alike. So, what are the essential ingredients, how do they work, and what happens when we put them to the test? Recorded over two days live at HETT Show 2025 an...

We ask what should be keeping health tech founders awake at night when it comes to the rapid advance of AI? Broadcasting live at The Fix festival, we also experience some tear-jerking virtual reality programmes, hear health tech founders’ confessions, deep dive into women’s health tech and get tips on selling health tech to private sector healthcare providers. There are great member offers on ever...

The way medical devices are approved for use in the UK is changing, if your tech depends on a CE or UKCA mark you’ll need to know, so the MHRA joins us to explain. We’re also asking experts from Cloud Gateway if the NHS’s tech networks can really withstand the ten year plan’s big shift from analogue to digital. We’re getting ready to go to the HETT show so we’ve got the lowdown on what that’s all...

History repeated - can’t get excited about it? Is it a vision, not a roadmap? The NHS Ten Year Plan has been dissected and analysed - time to draw a line under it and go back to work. In this month’s episode we’ve got three strategy heavyweights wrapping it all up - their synopsis, their opinions and their takeaway points for health tech SMEs. We find out more about the planned Innovation Passport...

Pork scratchings, fortune tellers, jiu jitsu, candy floss - our Amsterdam road trip had it all. In this special edition, we made the 900 mile round journey to visit Europe’s number one health event to investigate whether UK health tech start-ups are giving up on the NHS. If you’re interested in exploring other international markets, keep a pen handy, this episode is packed full of tips to help get...

If you’re working with the NHS you probably need to understand the latest landscape-change buzz term “Accountable Care Organisations”, so we’ve got a dummies guide. And we’re finding out about the best tech innovation for mental health we’ve heard about in ages, avatar therapy for patients with psychosis who hear voices. Plus, this month is health tech event crazy - we’re getting ready to visit HL...

We’re weighing up the huge changes at NHSE with the inside track on the new top team and the latest news about the ICBs re-organisation. If you’re currently rethinking your marketing strategy to navigate around this system-wide turmoil, we’ve got incredible top-drawer advertising advice about getting started with selling your products directly to end-users as well as some dramatically different ma...

It's been a month of seismic changes with the announcement of NHSE's abolishment along with DHSC and ICB cuts - we wrap-up how it will impact health tech SMEs, and we have a special extended career crossroads feature with executive search advisors that we hope might be useful for the thousands of colleagues that are being affected by the plans. Plus news from Rewired, and discount tickets for HLTH...

We’re in Manchester, live at HETT North, hearing from delegates about their experiences of the event as the industry reacts to this week’s big changes at NHSE. Keynote speaker, Health Innovation Network Chair and 10 Year Plan working group member, Richard Stubbs, shares current news - and the ABHI’s Luella Trickett explains what the new procurement legislation means for health tech SMEs. Plus we s...

We’re joined by Chris Law from Apian to find out about NHS lab deliveries being made by drones, we unpack the Elective Care Reform Plan with Laura Tan from Avid and dig into the algorithms of the Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan with Michael Watts from Blum - plus we’re getting ready to visit HETT North. LINKS Follow or contact us on Linkd In ... https://www.linkedin.com/company/ministry-...

Health tech consultant Liam Cahill performs a special Christmas song for us, but that's not all - we've got all the recordings from the Christmas party UP THE GHERKIN including the World Record breaking "Kazoo Khorus" - and there's even some sensible stuff, like tips about getting ready for next year in health tech, a deep dive into the key people behind the NHS 10 Year Plan, and we check-out the...

The budget. Everyone talked about it all month, but does it really make a difference for health tech SMEs? Get a pen and paper ready (or just check the show notes) - this episode is bursting with hints and tips for finding the post-budget pots of funding. Plus, what should you be doing in prep for the NHS 10 year plan? We also investigate the procurement framework bear traps you should look out fo...

The Darzi review. Yawn! Everyone's talking about it, but what does it mean for you? And how can your SME thrive in the wake of it? We'll cut through the clutter and sum up the must-know points. Plus we translate the new Procurement Act into something manageable, what should you be doing now to prepare for it's launch? Finally, the Medtech Pathway - TL:DR? Don't worry, we'll explain. Most important...