Making innovation happen in healthcare
Opencast HQ Hoults Yard
About Tech Talent Live
How can we turn promising innovation into real progress in the complex, high-stakes world of healthcare? In a sector where the ambition to innovate responsibly and improve patient outcomes is already widely shared, the real challenge lies in making it happen.
This means navigating organisational complexity, skills gaps, limited capacity, infrastructure challenges and leadership hurdles. This panel will explore how we can move beyond ideas and into delivery, connecting with the State of Digital Government report recommendations and considering the short and longer-term opportunities emerging from the NHS England abolition. We'll examine how to unlock meaningful progress on data and service innovation, AI and sustainability in health and social care. To innovate not just boldly but effectively, so we can achieve better outcomes for patients.
Speakers
Gordon Cullum, Technology Director, Axiologik and Chief Architect, NHS England Screening
Ishika Mukherjee, Senior User Research Consultant, Opencast
Lisa Sewell, Director of Data and Informatics, North East & Yorkshire GenomicsService and Programme Director, Great North Record
Murray Ellender, GP and Head of UK Healthcare, Huma (moderator)
Opencast is registering guests for its 2025 TechNExt fringe sessions on its own Eventbrite channel via the form below. These bookings won't appear on your personal TechNExt dashboard schedule but you will receive emails from Opencast with details about the event, travel and parking arrangements and reminders before the session.
Exhibitors at Tech Talent Live
Browse some of the fantastic companies exhibiting at Tech Talent Live.
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Tech Talent Live Lightning Talks
All lightning talks were held in Committee Room 1, an easily accessible room overlooking the main careers fair hall. The talks typically lasted 10 to 15 minutes per subject.
Schedule:
15:00 – Breaking into Tech: No Technical Experience? No Problem!
Discover how people from retail, music, healthcare and more are building new tech careers through low code platforms, self-learning and support from inclusive communities. This session will share powerful real-life stories and practical advice to help you confidently take your first step into tech without a traditional background.
15:30 – Why Can’t Women Thrive in Tech?
With women facing unique challenges in tech, this session will provide actionable strategies to overcome barriers like imposter syndrome and bias. You’ll gain practical advice on building confidence, developing key skills, and expanding your network to thrive in the tech sector.
16:00 – Ever Wondered About Public Sector Tech Jobs? It’s More Exciting Than You Think!
Think public sector tech is all red tape? Think again. This fast-paced session unveils how digital roles in government shape essential services used by millions, from tax collection to digital operations across departments. Discover how you can make a real impact while enjoying benefits like flexibility, job security, and room to grow. No matter your background, this could be your most exciting move yet!
16:30 – The Secret Skills That Get You Hired (and Promoted)
While technical skills open doors, soft skills like communication, adaptability, and collaboration drive career growth. This session will highlight the key soft skills tech employers value most and provide actionable tips on how to develop and showcase them.
17:00 – Want to Innovate? Try Content Design.
Discover how content design plays a crucial role in driving innovation within the tech sector. This session will introduce you to the skills and opportunities in content design and provide clear steps to start your career.
17:30 – What if 15 minutes could shed light on why your CV gets ghosted?
In this quick lightning talk you will learn about common CV pitfalls that prevent your application from standing out and practical tips to avoid them. This session is perfect for job seekers who want to make simple and effective improvements without rewriting their entire resume.
Overview
How can we turn promising innovation into real progress in the complex, high-stakes world of healthcare? In a sector where the ambition to innovate responsibly and improve patient outcomes is already widely shared, the real challenge lies in making it happen.
This means navigating organisational complexity, skills gaps, limited capacity, infrastructure challenges and leadership hurdles. This panel will explore how we can move beyond ideas and into delivery, connecting with the State of Digital Government report recommendations and considering the short and longer-term opportunities emerging from the NHS England abolition. We'll examine how to unlock meaningful progress on data and service innovation, AI and sustainability in health and social care. To innovate not just boldly but effectively, so we can achieve better outcomes for patients.
Speakers
Gordon Cullum, Technology Director, Axiologik and Chief Architect, NHS England Screening
Ishika Mukherjee, Senior User Research Consultant, Opencast
Lisa Sewell, Director of Data and Informatics, North East & Yorkshire GenomicsService and Programme Director, Great North Record
Murray Ellender, GP and Head of UK Healthcare, Huma (moderator)
Opencast is registering guests for its 2025 TechNExt fringe sessions on its own Eventbrite channel via the form below. These bookings won't appear on your personal TechNExt dashboard schedule but you will receive emails from Opencast with details about the event, travel and parking arrangements and reminders before the session.
Speakers
Gordon is the Chief Architect on the Digital Transformation of Screening at NHS England, he previously served as Deputy Digital Lead at the UK Health Security Agency, playing a pivotal role in the national COVID-19 response and also, he led the client-side digital delivery partnership for NHS Test and Trace/UKHSA.
He was a co-founder of eConsult in 2013, which spun out of the NHS. eConsult’s focus is to bring NHS care into the digital age, offering patients the ability to consult with their own NHS GP online and be triaged digitally in secondary care settings. In 2024, eConsult was acquired by Huma, becoming part of a UK-founded global digital health provider. Murray now heads up the UK healthcare business.
With a collaborative, agile, and democratic approach, Ishika champions user voices throughout delivery. She has worked across NHS, DWP, AXA Health, startups and central government, always with a focus on impact.
She is an established digital leader with considerable experience of leading digital transformation and delivery across primary, community, diagnostics and secondary care at a system level. Improving patient care and staff experience is her principal driver ensuring that solutions are designed to enhance the user experience.
The Great North Care Record successfully supports 1 million clinical encounters every month across the North East and North Cumbria, improving experience and outcomes for front-line staff and the patients it serves across the whole health and social care system
NEY Genomics Service provides services across the region with three primary laboratory sites operating from Newcastle, Sheffield and Leeds. It is one of seven regional alliances in England that delivers services supporting patients and clinicians across the North East and Yorkshire.
Event Registration is Closed
This event is either sold out or has taken place. Registration is closed.
Registration
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How to get involved
Please read the information back below, and then fill out an expression of interest form. This will let us know you’d like to take part, what age the participating children are and whether you’d like any support from us or an ‘industry mentor.’
Plan your challenge, consider your resources and the participating students. Challenges can be completed in small or large groups. but please be aware that only 8-10 students from selected schools will be able to attend the celebration event.
Submit your challenge responses via our online form below. Your school can submit up to 10 entries. The deadline for responses is Friday 9 May, 2025. Please get in touch if you are struggling to meet the deadline.
The Schools Challenge steering committee will identify a small group of students from selected schools to be invited to a celebration event on the morning of Friday 20 June at South Shields Customs House.
If selected, you will be invited to attend by 23 May. There will also be an opportunity to display students‘ work as part of a number of public
exhibitions across local authority areas.
If you have any issues, contact us via email: getinvolved@technext.co.uk
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