The Group Chief Information Officer on AI, delivering digital change at scale and developing the NHS digital workforce

Ahead of HPN South 2026, we sat down with Ravi Kaur Sahota to talk about what is changing in NHS digital transformation. From AI and predictive analytics to the basic infrastructure that can hold organisations back, she shared an honest view of what digital leaders need to get right.

Ravi is Group Chief Information Officer at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust. With more than 16 years of NHS experience, she will bring her perspective on leading digital across two organisations to HPN South's opening keynote on group trust models, convergence and collaboration.

Ravi's answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What have been some of the most significant changes in NHS digital transformation over the past five years

The biggest change has been the shift from talking about digital as a project or a piece of work to be implemented, to seeing it as an enabler. The conversations are now much more mature. We are talking about how digital supports clinical quality, operational productivity and financial sustainability, rather than digital maturity being the end goal.

We are also thinking more seriously about how to deliver at scale. That includes interoperability, data and cyber, but also how we link all of it together and use our resources more effectively. There is more collaboration and co-production, and much more focus on the measurable benefits we should see as a result.

"We have typically tried to push digital onto the end user. What we are seeing with AI is users pulling digital into their everyday lives."

AI has made digital feel more accessible because people can use it in their day-to-day work. That is very different from some of the clunky systems and workarounds people have experienced before, where digital could feel like another barrier.

Ravi will explore the challenge of delivering digital at scale during What group trust models convergence and collaborations mean for digital, the opening keynote panel at HPN South.

Looking ahead what developments are you most excited about and what technology is on the horizon

Everyone is talking about AI, and I am excited about it because it has helped people access and embrace digital. I am particularly interested in ambient voice technology, predictive analytics and intelligent automation. These are the areas that can genuinely reduce administrative burden and do something useful with the information we already have.

Predictive analytics could help us bring together data from several sources and turn it into something meaningful. That could support personalised care, earlier intervention and work to reduce health inequalities, rather than leaving us to manually triangulate information across different systems.

There is also potential in the information people collect through smartwatches and other devices. Combined with what a clinician knows about a patient, that data could help people understand their health and make more informed choices.

"When AI works, it is fantastic. But when it does not, who do you go to if you do not have the skills to recognise that the answer is wrong?"

That is the part we cannot ignore. People are using AI to write code, build tools and even create AI governance frameworks without always having the knowledge to check the output. AI can help us, but it cannot replace research, critical thinking and professional judgement.

The HPN South agenda will bring these issues into practice through sessions on scaling ambient voice technology across four acute trusts and the changing landscape of NHS data infrastructure.

When implementing digital change what do organisations need to get right and what commonly stands in the way

It is not rocket science, but we do not apply enough common sense. When a digital project goes wrong, the organisation often lacks a clear vision of where it wants to get to, what the end-to-end pathway should look like or what benefits it expects.

"We should not take a process and simply make it digital. We should make it digital and make it better."

The starting point has to be the problem, not the solution. What friction are we removing? What can we automate or make easier? If a service wants a new product, the first question should be what it needs to achieve and whether that fits the wider strategy.

Co-design matters, but so does prioritisation. Funding and capacity for change are limited. Organisations need a multi-year plan and must be prepared to say no to things that do not fit it. The digital roadmap has to match the organisation's roadmap.

"You cannot have a digital strategy moving towards AI while your clinicians still cannot access the EPR because the Wi-Fi does not work."

Digital leaders are there to help the organisation work sustainably. Sometimes people wait for funding to drop or for a national announcement - a unicorn to come out of the sky. There is a lot you can do within your own gift if you understand what your organisation needs.

The gap between implementing technology and achieving measurable benefits will also be explored in Driving efficiency and productivity while improving patient outcomes at HPN South.

How can the NHS support and develop the next generation of digital leaders

We need better career pathways. The traditional NHS route is that you become more senior by taking on more management responsibility. That is not enough for a digital team. Developers and technical specialists may want to keep doing the job they love, rather than manage a large team, so we need routes that allow that talent to progress.

We also need to recognise the impact automation will have on the workforce. Entry-level administrative roles have given people a route into the NHS. If digital leaders help remove some of those roles, we have a responsibility to create new routes in their place.

"How do we bring people in early, get them excited and teach them the digital skills they will need for the future?"

That could mean apprenticeships, earlier outreach and pathways for people who may not otherwise have access to a digital career. This matters because the loss of entry-level roles often affects people from less advantaged backgrounds.

Future digital leaders also need more than technical knowledge. They need exposure to operations, strategy, finance, transformation and clinical workflows. In a group role, they must lead across organisations with different cultures, policies and systems. People need time, support and mentoring to learn how to do that.

These questions link directly to The professionalisation of digital data and technology roles, which will ask whether formal standards and professional membership will strengthen the NHS digital workforce or create new barriers.

What are you most looking forward to at HPN South

I am looking forward to hearing what other people are doing and learning from them. You can never be in a senior position and think you know it all. There is always someone doing something that makes you want to have a conversation, understand how they have done it and think about how it could work in your own organisation.

I also want to understand the challenges other people are facing. Often there is a lot of overlap, and it makes more sense to work together than for every organisation to try to solve the same problem on its own.

What I like about HPN is that there is time to listen to the key panels and then continue those conversations in the workshops. People do not want leaders to agree with each other all the time. They want different views and honest conversations about what worked in practice, because one size does not fit all.

"I am not there because I think I know everything. I hope someone takes what we have done and makes it better."

There is a lot of pressure on digital leaders, particularly with the expectation that AI will solve every problem. But we are doing these jobs because we care about them. We have the opportunity to influence how healthcare will be delivered, and if you are fortunate enough to be in a position where you can do that, you should use that privilege.

Continue the conversation at HPN

Delegate places for HPN South 2026 are now full, but you can still explore the full agenda and follow the conversations taking place on 15 and 16 October.

If you missed HPN South, applications are open for HPN North, taking place on 29 and 30 April 2027 at The Manchester Deansgate. Senior NHS and ICS leaders can apply for a complimentary delegate place. All applications are subject to approval.