The Year of the Digital Profession

Building a sustainable, skilled and supported workforce of digital, data, technology and informatics experts in health and social care is essential to meet the demands and ambitions of the sector.

Ensuring the workforce has the appropriate skills, and is equipped with the right tools to do their jobs effectively, is integral to the common vision for good digital practice laid down in the What Good Looks Like framework.

The NHS Long Term Plan makes clear commitments to a “digitally-enabled” future, to provide digital access to NHS services for patients and to ensure clinicians have digital access to patient records and care plans and the recent social care reform and integration White Papers have further emphasised this agenda.

In order to support the digital transformation of the NHS and social care it is important to establish the professionalisation of the workforce and lay the right foundations upon which the professions can grow. Informatics professionals across health and social care working in digital, data, technology will collaborate and work together to put in place core competency frameworks.

The creation of a career framework will inform professional development and is critical for both the recruitment and retention of those within the health and social care sector.

The Year of the Digital Profession will see the launch of a workforce plan for building a sustainable digital and data workforce.

The Year of the Digital Profession continues to be promoted sector-wide, across health and social care, to increase the understanding and visibility of the informatics role and underline the function and value of the digital, data, technology and informatics professions across health and social care.

The purpose of the year is to lay the right foundations upon which the professions can grow, by strategically investing in building the capacity and capability of specialist skills, to support organisations to successfully deliver digital transformation across primary care, secondary care, emergency care, and mental health.

Leaders in each of the digital, data, technology and informatics professions are working closely with professional bodies to engage with the workforce. Career profiles for people who work in each profession are being created to inspire people with specialist informatics skills to consider a career in health and social care.

Digital and Data Awards 2022

A key moment for the year are the Digital and Data Awards, which have been created to celebrate and showcase the successes of the thriving digital technology profession.

The Digital and Data Awards, in association with the Federation of Informatics Professionals (FedIP), recognise the achievements, particularly over the last two years, of individuals who work within a digital, data, technology or informatics role, either as their appointed role or as part of their clinical or professional role working in health and social care.

The Digital and Data Awards were open to clinicians and professionals, from apprentices through to senior managers, working in a digital, data, technology or informatics role in the NHS and social care. Over three hundred people were nominated for the awards with the judges impressed by the quality of each and every nomination. Following careful deliberation NHS England are pleased to announce the winners of the Digital and Data Awards as follows:

Aspiring Talent Award – recognising those at the start of their digital and data careers

Winner: Carly Ings, Project Manager, Digital Access to Services at Home, System Information Directorate, NHS Dorset

Champions Award – recognising individuals who have gone above and beyond in their role

Winner: Aasha Cowey, Strategic Transformation Lead, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Winner: Konstantinos Balaskas, Director of the Moorfields Ophthalmic, Reading Centre

Dedication to Profession Award – recognising an individual's commitment and contribution to building the profession

Winner: Antonia Brown, Clinical Digital Innovation Lead, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Impact Award – recognising significant and tangible impacts achieved during the last few years, specifically for patient or staff outcomes and experiences

Winner: Kayleigh Hayden, Project Lead, North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Leadership Award – recognising where someone has led a team, department or organisation through digital transformation

Winner: Diana Divajeva, Principal Public Health Analyst, Public Health, London Borough of Hackney

Winner: Marion Ingleby, Strategic Manager, Operational Support - Adult Social Care, Durham County Council

Spirit Award – recognising leadership or contribution to advancing a team during the fight against COVID-19 and during the recovery phase

Winner: Liz Barfield, Senior Clinical Lead, Covid Vaccination & Covid Test Programmes, NHS Digital