Based in the digital directorate of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH), TheHill is at the centre of a broad and always growing network of NHS people who are passionate about digital innovation. We do this by providing opportunities for OUH teams to connect with transformative digital solutions, by building capacity within the NHS to increase skills and understanding of digital technology, and by championing a culture of innovation.
Engaging with NHS colleagues is at the heart of what we do. We work through collaboration and co-design to make sure that our people are empowered to put in place solutions that work for them and their patients, whether these are home grown ideas or the work of partners from outside of our trust. Our needs-led approach means that we work with colleagues to identify their challenges and needs on the frontline to identify the biggest problems that can be improved with digital innovation. This allows us to bridge the gap of understanding between those working on the frontline and hospital priorities.
A member of the prestigious Shelford Group of NHS Trusts, OUH comprises 4 hospitals and over 40 community sites across several counties, providing an extensive list of secondary, tertiary and quaternary services. OUH benefits from close ties with the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University and many colleagues have academic teaching and research roles in addition to their Trust responsibilities. With approximately 14,000 staff, it is one of the largest employers in the region. TheHill is proud of its place within the institution and community that is OUH and of its collaborative and friendly relationships with a diverse network of colleagues from the wards to the board room.
How we work with our NHS colleagues
We connect digital innovators across OUH with information, skills, resources, opportunities and best practice. Through this we are building a community of collaborative digital innovators to better understand digital technology needs, and finding ambassadors to champion the solutions that address them. We work colleagues across the trust in both clinical and non-clinical roles to inspire and empower them to actively explore their own interests within digital innovation. At the same time we provide guidance and facilitation to work on real projects where they wish to do so. We connect colleagues with emerging digital technologies and approaches that could transform their work.
Find out more about our Digital Innovation Ambassadors.
How we work with partners outside the NHS
We provide invaluable opportunities for feedback and discovery by facilitating conversations, meetings and workshops at OUH, many of which in turn lead to trial or pilot activity within the Trust. We do this by using a human centred design approach, ensuring all users involved are included from the start to create a tangible difference for colleagues and patients.
Clinical engagement is a key part of our structured programmes for companies, including our Market Access Accelerator, Pre-Seed programme and Procurement Training. Our specialised and highly experienced grants team is able to collaborate with partners on applications which often feature the engagement of our clinical teams. In addition, we offer a range of bespoke services that draw on the expertise and experience of NHS colleagues.