How technology can improve inclusivity in healthcare

As the Lead for Women in HealthTech and Innovation at Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber, I’m passionate about using innovation to make health and care better, whether that’s in relation to data, AI, or simply a new and improved way of doing things. It’s not about just wanting to make it more efficient, but to actually make it more equitable and more ‘human’.

What do Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber do?

At Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber we’re often the ones behind the scenes, making connections, removing barriers and bringing people together. Our job is to spot where the health and care system needs support and to connect those needs with the ideas, people and solutions that can help. In Yorkshire and Humber, we work across three integrated care boards (ICBs), each with its own embedded innovation hub or team. This is really important to me because it means we stay close to local needs and can be genuinely place-based in our work.

We’re not just bringing in new tools and hoping they land, we’re growing ideas with our partners, from the ground up. That could be a startup with a new AI product, a clinician with an idea to streamline patient flow, or a local authority tackling digital exclusion. We work across the sector. The scope is huge, which is what makes it so exciting.

Female founders matter

One of the things I’ve become increasingly focused on is how we support women in health tech and innovation, particularly those trying to build something in a system that wasn’t designed with them in mind. The data is disheartening. Female founders and innovators in healthcare typically receive less than 3% of available VC (venture capital) funding. For women from ethnic minority backgrounds, those with disabilities, who are neurodivergent, or from lower socio-economic backgrounds, it’s even worse. And it’s not just about money, it’s also about the wider difficulties when it comes to accessing networks, mentorship, visibility and validation.

This is why I’ve been engaging with colleagues and stakeholders to explore the creation of a new network. WHIT, which stands for Women in Health Innovation and Technology, will be shaped by what people need and want it to be, to ensure it’s meaningful and impactful from the start. It came out of a listening exercise we ran across the region where we heard directly from women and allies about the challenges they face. What emerged was a clear need for ongoing, tailored support that was about much more than just running a few events. We needed to create a proper community.

With WHIT, we are doing just that, creating a space for women working in health innovation to connect, collaborate and support each other, whether they’re working on women’s health, AI, data, service transformation or anything else.

What does innovation really mean?

When people hear the word ‘innovation’ they often think immediately of shiny apps and AI, but to me it’s about driving real change and making significant improvements as a result. That change might be powered by data and tech, or it might be a small shift in how services are delivered. I don’t believe that innovation needs to be complicated.

Some of the best solutions that I’ve seen are the simplest, whether they’re designed to help staff and patients or to improve systems. The trick is to start with the need, not the tech. I’ve learned that you can’t throw a great product into a busy system and expect it to land. If staff aren’t engaged, if people don’t understand how it works or why it matters, it won’t stick. You’ve got to bring people with you. That’s where the importance of building strong relationships comes in.

The role of relationships in success

I’ve worked in and around clinical teams for most of my career, and one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that you can’t assume people know what’s going on. And this is not because they don’t care, it’s because they are busy doing their own jobs, getting their heads down and focusing on delivering for patients. So, I make a conscious effort to be open, honest and collaborative. I never go in assuming anything. I start from zero. I’d rather take a couple of minutes in a meeting to make sure everyone’s on the same page than leave someone behind. That approach has helped me break down silos, build trust and bring different parts of the system together. You can’t change anything if people don’t feel included in the process.

It’s also about being humble. I don’t know everything. I will miss things. But when that happens, I try to listen, learn and adjust. Building relationships and being willing to have uncomfortable conversations is what actually moves things forward.

My journey into health and care

I didn’t take a traditional route into health and care. I was supposed to go to university — I would have been the first in my family (along with my twin sister) — but my mum became terminally ill, and I stayed home to help care for her. I also needed to provide for my young family, so I took a job in the NHS as a band two education assistant. I knew I wanted to work in healthcare and that was my way in. From there, I worked my way up. I took every opportunity I could, applied for secondments, studied full time while also working full time, and eventually earned my degree. I didn’t wait for doors to open, I knocked on them.

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One big turning point was a development opportunity in governance and patient safety. It wasn’t clinical, and initially I wasn’t given the opportunity to interview because I didn’t have a clinical background. That lit a fire in me. I had been working in a clinical setting for years, so I understood the system, the people and the pressures. I fought for that role and got it. I went on to build some very strong relationships with clinicians who hadn’t previously been engaged. By the time I left, there was real collaboration. That experience taught me that the right person in the right role can make all the difference, even if they don’t tick the traditional boxes.

Why does equity matter?

I come from a very low socioeconomic background and grew up in poverty. I know what it’s like to face barriers and to feel like the system wasn’t built for you. And I know that I’ve been lucky. I’m a white woman, which gives me privilege and a voice in many situations that aren’t afforded to others. But I also know what it’s like to be told ‘you don’t belong here.’ That’s what drives me. I want to open doors for others. I want more people from underrepresented backgrounds to see that they can do this type of work, and that their voices not only matter but can improve the lives of others.

I often say, ‘you don’t know what you don’t know.’ If you’ve never experienced inequality or exclusion, you might not see it. But once you do, once you really listen, you can’t ignore it. That’s why equity and inclusion run through everything I do. It’s not an add-on. It’s absolutely fundamental.

What’s next?

There are some exciting things on the horizon. We’re in early conversations with partners about setting up accelerator type programmes to support female founders in health technology. It’s still in the early stages, but the fact that this has gained traction and huge excitement with some big players in the market is a huge step forward.
Of course, funding is always a challenge, and I wish I could spend all my time on this. But no matter what project I’m working on, I bring that same lens — the equity lens — to the table. This work doesn’t happen in silos. If you want real impact, you need to bring people together across sectors, across disciplines, across backgrounds. That’s how we make change that lasts.

Final thoughts

For me, innovation isn’t just about tech, it’s about people. It’s about listening, understanding and building something with people, not for them. We won’t solve everything overnight. But if we keep showing up, keep collaborating and keep challenging the system to be better, we’ll get there. And hopefully, we’ll bring a few more people along with us on the way.