Blogs

Improving outcomes for women, babies, and families has never been just about clinical expertise. While technical skill saves lives, it is culture, the everyday behaviours, conversations, and values within teams, that determines whether care truly feels safe, compassionate, and equitable. 

Across maternity and neonatal services, staff work under immense pressure, making complex decisions in emotionally charged situations. In these moments, culture matters. It shapes whether someone speaks up, whether a concern is heard, and whether a team pulls together or works in silos. 

In this blog, Head of Programme Delivery (Patient Safety and Improvement), Kay Khan discusses the national Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme (PCLP), which was created with this understanding at its heart.  

Earlier this year, Health Innovation East Midlands and West Midlands co- hosted a webinar to showcase healthcare innovations to better support people with a learning disability who are at risk of behaviour that challenges, while reducing reliance on psychotropic medicines where appropriate.

Heim Health is an innovation part of the Grow Digital Health Midlands 2026 cohort. We spoke to Elle Clarke, Medical Director at Heim Health. This blog shares insight into their innovation, next steps, their biggest piece of advice innovating in the NHS and their plans for the future. 

Opportunities are available to join our team. In this blog, Sophie Mason reflects on her five years working for HIEM, the programmes she’s been able to support and the breadth of people across the East Midlands she’s been able to work with.

Take a look at our current job vacancies here.

Opportunities are available to join our team. In this blog, Project Officer Richard Drakes gives a personal account of working for HIEM, including what he enjoys most about his role.

Find out more about the opportunities available to join our team on our dedicated webpage.

Concentric is an innovation part of the Grow Digital Health Midlands 2026 cohort. We spoke to Dr Patrick Hart, Growth and Partnerships Clinician at Concentric. This blog shares insight into their innovation, next steps, their biggest piece of advice innovating in the NHS and their plans for the future. 

Opportunities are available to join our team. In this blog, Project Manager Beth Askey shares her experience working for HIEM, what attracted her to apply and gives some insight into projects that she’s enjoyed working on the most.

Take a look at our current job vacancies here.

I joined Health Innovation East Midlands (HIEM) in July 2024 after spending six years working in primary care, and I've genuinely enjoyed being able to take the experience and insights I gained on the frontline and apply them at a wider system level.

Mitigating the barriers to implementing AI in health and social care requires more than adopting new technologies; it demands careful consideration of regulation, workforce engagement, patient trust and clinical safety.

 In this blog, our Digital Health Lead explores some of the most common challenges NHS organisations face when introducing AI solutions into healthcare settings, alongside practical approaches to help overcome them. Drawing on local examples and projects supported by Health Innovation East Midlands, Dawn highlights how thoughtful implementation can help unlock the potential of AI to improve patient care, support staff, and drive productivity across the NHS.

John Isherwood is a former East Midlands Clinical Senate Leadership Fellow, current East Midlands Clinical Senate Council member and a consultant hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeon in Leicester. Clinical Senates are non-statutory advisory bodies, which bring together multi-professional clinical leaders across its region, to provide expert clinical advice and guidance to all parts of the healthcare system to drive improvement. Health Innovation East Midlands has a position on the Clinical Senate Council.

How can we understand the barriers to AI in healthcare and how can we move forward? In this blog, John gives his perspective on why these barriers matter, the role of regional innovation partnerships and the future of AI in healthcare.

The national Maternity and Neonatal Perinatal leadership and culture programme aims to improve the quality of care and experiences of women, babies and families.

HIEM is working across the East Midlands to support teams to create the conditions for a positive culture of safety and continuous improvement.

In this blog, Ellen Cutler, Neonatal Matron at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, reflects on how the programme has changed their service.