We’re delighted to present our finalists for the category of “Digital patient transformation”.
North Bristol NHS Trust: Tackling inequality through digital early detection of HCC: A cross-trust surveillance platform
Overview: A cross-trust innovation aligned with NHSE’s early cancer detection, replacing spreadsheets with an automated hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance platform. By proactively identifying high-risk non-attending patients, this tackles inequality, reduces DNAs linked to harm, and improves early diagnosis.
What happened? The project replaced the legacy spreadsheet with a bespoke, in-house Digital HCC Surveillance and Early Detection Platform built using Power BI. Co-produced by hepatology clinicians and digital transformation teams across NBT and UHBW, the platform provides a live, automated registry updated weekly. Implementation began in early 2025 using a phased, clinically governed approach to avoid disruption to care. By the end of 2025, all eligible patients across both trusts will be captured within a single digital surveillance system. Automated weekly updates eliminate spreadsheet risk and ensure no patient is silently lost. Specialist nurses have reclaimed an estimated 10–12 hours per week previously spent on manual data management, redirecting time to patient outreach and support for those at highest risk. Built entirely in-house, the platform avoids commercial licensing costs and can rapidly adapt to changing NHS requirements. It is already being explored for use in other long-term condition pathways, including renal, cardiology, and diabetes services.
NEC Software Solutions x Swansea Bay University Health Board: OWLi – Empowering patients through digital prehabilitation
Overview: OWLi transforms the patient experience by providing personalised digital support during surgical waiting periods. From health nudges to education and referrals, OWLi empowers patients to take control of their health, improving outcomes and engagement for thousands awaiting orthopaedic surgery.
What happened? OWLi (Orthopaedic Waiting List Initiative) is a digital platform that transforms waiting time into preparation time. OWLi delivers personalised support, education, and referrals, enabling patients to improve their health and engage actively in their care journey. Key features include personalised health nudges, patient education, integrated support with direct referrals to services such as weight management, and risk profiling for patients needing additional support. In a pilot, 200 patients tested the platform, providing feedback on usability and communication. Patients reported feeling more informed, empowered, and confident about their surgery. Clinicians noted improved patient readiness and reduced anxiety levels. Measurable outcomes include 4,000 patients managed digitally, 2,000+ patients educated on osteoarthritis self-management, and 500+ patients prompted for blood tests and chronic condition checks. OWLi addresses digital exclusion through assisted onboarding, telephone support, and printed guides.
Modality Partnership x GOQii: A digital patient transformation model delivering prevention, productivity and population-level health impact
Overview: Modality and GOQii’s digital-prevention programme combines personalised lifestyle coaching, behavioural science and real-time analytics to improve patient outcomes at scale. The model reduces GP workload, improves metabolic risk, delivers measurable system productivity, and empowers patients to self-manage.
What happened? Modality and GOQii co-designed a hybrid ecosystem combining technology, personalised coaching and clinical oversight. Key components included multiple access routes, personalised lifestyle coaching, a behavioural science framework, population health targeting, and cultural and linguistic tailoring. The programme has supported over 7,000 NHS patients across 11 Modality regions, delivering improvements including in weight – 10 percent and -9cm waist circumference; HbA1c: –5.5mmol/mol; blood pressure: –12/5 mmHg; cholesterol: –0.7mmol/mol; and a reduction of up to 90 percent in hypoglycaemic medication. To limit digital exclusion, a practice-led model enabled patients to attend practices and access devices for coaching and browsing app content. 88–97 percent of patients report improved motivation, confidence and understanding of their health. Operational benefits include a 39 percent reduction in GP appointments for lifestyle issues. Multiple cohorts show reduced system utilisation with a 7 percent lower A&E attendance recorded in Yorkshire, and a breakeven ROI at 15 months.
Yazen: Powering digital patient transformation for sustainable weight care
Overview: Our weight care is grounded in science, medical research, and real-world outcomes, not trends or hype. We believe sustainable weight loss is achieved by understanding the biology of obesity, not willpower. We focus on personalised medical care and scientifically proven methods for long-term behavioural change.
What happened? The Yazen Model enables modern obesity treatment, integrating medical treatment, lifestyle intervention, and social support, all via a digital platform. To date, more than 50,000 qualifying patients have received treatment using this model. Patients are assigned a personal physician and a YazenCoach (registered nurse, dietitian or physiotherapist with obesity expertise) for continuous follow-up. A doctor tailors treatment plans to each individual by carefully monitoring responses to medication, including changes in appetite, hunger, satiety and behaviour. Patients with dysfunctional eating behaviours or eating disorders receive mandatory support from a psychologist. Additional support is provided via a structured, educational programme called COMMIT, consisting of 8 pedagogical modules addressing obesity, medication, diet, physical activity and behavioural change. The app also contains expert-curated articles for more knowledge and inspiration, food recipes, and a community. Data from 30,000+ Yazen patients revealed 16.6 percent weight loss after 18 months and 70 percent adherence to treatment.
Medefer: Remote-first hybrid outpatients: Safer and faster referral to treatment
Overview: Medefer delivers end-to-end, hybrid remote-first outpatients with a Clinical Holding Bay safety-net for backlogs. In SSOT (8,400 patients) DNA was 3.8 percent, with 44.6 percent increase access for IMD 1–2, and Holding Bay reprioritised 10 percent, reducing clinical harm.
What happened? Medefer delivered an end-to-end, consultant-led, hybrid remote-first model. Consultants review referrals to organise investigations, escalate to urgent pathways, onward refer, or discharge back to GP. Consultations and follow-ups are remote-first by default. Our bespoke EHR allows consultants to organise investigations across a governed network so patients can access tests closer to where they live or work. For inherited diagnostic backlogs, patients can re-contact while waiting. Consultants reassess symptoms and reprioritise diagnostics based on risk, with documented safety-netting and escalation when needed. A single pathway EHR provides tracking, audit trail and operational oversight. Translation is available in over 240 languages. In NEL ICB, BHRUT audit associated the model with around 50 fewer A&E attendances per month through trust hot-clinic access. In SSOT ICB, the model released an estimated £40k to £44k of GP time capacity per annum by reducing demand-failure from patients waiting for appointments at hospitals.
Clinrol: Clinrol Connect: AI-powered patient identification and engagement for clinical trials
Overview: Clinrol is an AI-enabled platform improving patient identification, screening and engagement for clinical trials. By supporting research sites with intelligent workflows and clearer communication for patients, Clinrol reduces administrative burden, lowers screen failures and improves access to clinical research.
What happened? Clinrol uses AI-supported analysis of referral and patient information to assist with early eligibility assessment. It supports referral validation and pre-screening workflows, reducing duplication and administrative effort for coordinators. Research sites using the platform report meaningful time savings in early screening and follow-up. Final eligibility and enrolment decisions always remain with qualified research site staff. AI-supported communication workflows help ensure patients receive timely, consistent and clear information, including eligibility updates, appointment reminders and responses to common questions. Research sites report improved patient responsiveness and fewer missed appointments, contributing to stronger retention over time. To date, Clinrol has supported more than 100 clinical trials across Australia, Europe, Asia, the United States and other regions, including studies involving complex and chronic conditions. Research sites report improved recruitment efficiency, reduced administrative burden and better visibility across recruitment pipelines.
Preventx Ltd: England’s digital pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) service: Driving transformation towards zero HIV transmissions by 2030
Overview: Preventx launched the Digital PrEP Service, removing longstanding barriers to HIV prevention. By enabling users to complete assessments, testing and prescribing remotely, thousands have accessed PrEP without clinic attendance. The service has widened access and reduced waiting pressures for clinics.
What happened? Preventx developed a new remote care pathway that removed the need for physical clinic attendance. The goal was simple: make it easier for people already eligible for PrEP to receive it and stay on it safely. The service enables users to register confidentially online, complete a structured clinical assessment, receive validated home blood-testing kits, communicate with clinicians via secure messaging, and receive medication rapidly via post. Since launch across 11 local authorities, the service has delivered measurable improvements in access and equity. 2,795 individuals have been prescribed PrEP, with half living in the top 30 percent most deprived areas. The new pathway strengthened continuity through automated reminders for prescriptions and proactive follow-up instead of patient-led booking, meaning fewer gaps in treatment, fewer urgent requests, and smoother flow through existing systems. Users most valued the speed of access, clarity of communication, privacy, and reminders. PrEP actively contributes to prevention goals – including reducing HIV transmission risk.
Isla Health: From three days to 10 minutes: A digital patient transformation delivering equity and access for 10,000+ at UHN
Overview: University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) and Isla Health transformed 15 clinical specialties, empowering 10,620 patients to send 30,227 submissions (76 percent patient-initiated). This slashed paediatric epilepsy reviews from 3 days to 10 minutes, enabling rapid, home-based intervention, democratising specialist care.
What happened? The initiative focused on three goals: radical empowerment with patients actively initiating the flow of health information; digital inclusion with a “zero-friction” model (no passwords, no app downloads); and speed of safety, eliminating the “anxiety gap” between an emerging symptom and clinician review. Since July 2022, the project has transformed the experience for 10,620 patients across 15 specialties. In paediatric epilepsy, parents can securely upload videos of seizures instantly. For the 730 patients under care, review times were slashed from days to just 10 minutes. By digitising the review process for 4,183 chronic pain patients, the trust reduced the turnaround time for support from 8 days to 1.5 days. By combining telephone triage with digital image submission, 2,990 patients in eye casualty were triaged remotely. Patients have submitted 30,227 images/videos and forms, with 76 percent of these initiated by the patients themselves. Patients are invited to review the pathway upon submitting data, ensuring the trust constantly refines the “user interface” of clinical services.
Navigate Health: Reimagining health information: Patient.info’s transformation for patients
Overview: Patient.info has transformed how over eight million people each month access trusted health information, tools and communities. Connecting clinically reviewed content with personalised digital pathways, forums, calculators and service directories, Patient.info empowers patients to navigate health decisions.
What happened? Patient.info now hosts a growing suite of interactive calculators, including BMI, BMR, sleep debt, and GKI (glucose-ketone index). Tools empower patients with personalised insights, helping them understand health metrics, lifestyle impact, and potential next steps. Relaunched forums across more than 30 health topics provide a safe, moderated space for patients to connect with others experiencing similar conditions. Integrated service directories and pathways guide patients from trusted information to relevant services. Information pages now embed tools, referral links, and forums, transforming each page into a “mini pathway” rather than a static leaflet. New content hubs and data tools leverage public data to help patients understand the wider context of their conditions. Patient.info now reaches over 8 million monthly visitors, and average time on site has increased by 25 percent since the relaunch. User feedback shows patients value clear navigation, plain English explanations, and practical next steps.
