Transforming healthcare together: Celebrating the SWL Digital Pioneer Fellowship

The South West London Integrated Care System (SWL ICS) is one of 42 ICSs across England, and stretches across six local authorities: Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth. It is responsible for bringing together local councils, the NHS and voluntary organisations to improve the lives of people in their area.

There is no shortage of brilliant ideas and opportunities for digital transformation across this region, yet an estimated 80% of all digital transformation projects in the NHS will fail to deliver any value to the system. This statistic raised the question: What can SWL ICS do to support digital pioneers on the front line?

Providing tailored support for clinical and non-clinical digital transformation champions

The SWL Digital Pioneer Fellowship began in 2023, sparked by the success of DigitalHealth.London’s Digital Pioneer Fellowship. Built on a collaboration between SWL ICS, DigitalHealth.London and the Health Innovation Network South London its goal was to equip health and care initiatives with the tools for lasting success. Bringing together individuals employed at any level within the NHS, Local Authority and Voluntary sector organisations, the programme provided tailored training whilst promoting cross-working in the ICS.

Across 12 months, Fellows are provided with comprehensive support to transform ideas into practical blueprints for digital transformation. This includes six in-person learning days, mentoring with key stakeholders across the region, group coaching with peers and structured networking. Through this curriculum, Fellows are provided with crucial opportunities to develop skills for their project and beyond, such as writing successful business cases and project evaluation. This ensures that the benefit of the training is felt far beyond the individual, to their colleagues, organisation and people they serve.

For cohort one, Fellows benefited from:

• 11 dedicated sessions on project design, delivery and leadership, with every session receiving a feedback score of more than 8/10.
• 5 spotlight sessions supported the Fellows to better understand the entire health and social care system.

The SWL Digital Pioneer Fellowship is unique in its design in that it supports both clinical and non-clinical staff, from a variety of seniorities, across all health and care sectors to design and lead digital transformation projects. It is an introduction to digital transformation, and a launchpad for them to grow their skillset for change.

– Sam Kyffin, Senior Project Manager at DigitalHealth.London

Driving system-wide digital innovation through collaboration

Across two cohorts, the Fellowship has supported 71 pioneers to lead the change they want to see in the healthcare environment they work within. This includes 26 organisations in London, across a range of health and social care providers and voluntary and social enterprises.

The breadth of delivery means we are able to adapt the programme to the specific needs of the organisation and the population that they serve. This has resulted in digital transformation projects that stand the test of time, providing real impact to the system. Overall feedback from the Fellows has been incredibly positive, with a Net Promoter Score of 41 for cohort one, which puts the programme in the “very good” category.

The legacy of SWL Digital Pioneer Fellowship

The successful implementation of this programme in South West London ICB demonstrates its potential as a scalable model. By adopting its design, ICSs and Health Innovation Networks can enhance workforce capabilities, improve outcomes, and support the strategic workforce objectives outlined in the 10-Year Plan for Health in England.

The design of the Fellowship doesn’t just empower individuals by boosting confidence and skills, it also builds links across healthcare sectors in SWL, facilitating long-term collaboration and joined-up working. This legacy reflects a key ambition of the programme, as Martin Ellis, Chief Digital Information Officer at South West London Integrated Care System, explains:

It was really important to me that we develop a SWL approach to digital transformation, and that we train up enough people in the system as ambassadors for that approach. My ambition is to have a group of alumni across SWL who can promote good digital transformation and also the benefits of working across the ICS.

Collaborating with DigitalHealth.London and Health Innovation Network South London brought invaluable expertise, networks, and support that helped us empower Fellows to turn their ideas into real, lasting impact for patients and staff alike.

For more information on the SWL Digital Pioneer Fellowship and check out our Innovation Directory to browse through the full list of Fellows.