Cohort 4

Lucy Gilbert

  • Head of Innovation
  • University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire
  • @DrLucyGilbert
  • 2023

In my 12 months as a Topol Digital Fellow I will develop my knowledge and skills to support the safe and timely adoption of new digital tools.

Lucy Gilbert

My Topol fellowship problem / project:

Our hospital site is split across two sites, and there are many instances of when items or samples need to be moved from one to the other. Since 2021 we have been working with a local drone operator company to explore the use of Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles (drones) to explore if drones can provide a quicker, demand responsive, and more environmentally friendly method of transport within healthcare. As part of exploring the feasibility of the NHS adopting this solution, it needs to be as user-friendly as possible to fit with existing workflows and ensure it is accessible to all. The UAV ordering system needs to be able to predict which method of transport is going to be quicker, and needs to integrate with our Electronic Patient Record (EPR) to allow tracking for time critical deliveries. Whilst a lot of work has already been undertaken to navigate air space regulations, we also need to ensure the ordering portal and tracking systems maintain the highest level of cyber security.

I am Head of Innovation at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire. I lead a fantastic team to support the development of staff ideas and adoption of innovation into the Trust. Before this role I worked with the Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) to support the spread and adoption of digital innovation across our Integrated Care System (ICS) footprint, and before that in NHS Improvement working in a team delivering quality improvement and transformational change programmes across the NHS. Before moving to the NHS I completed a PhD in Human Factors applied to applied to healthcare which allowed me to explore the different elements of interaction within a complex system and the role of user centred design in developing safer solutions.