Great conversation on the latest TechPulse Healthcare episode with Lesley Soden, Director at Succoris and former NHS innovation leader. Her background in NHS innovation and commercialisation brings a grounded perspective on what it really takes for healthtech to gain traction in the real world.

We talked about why adoption is so hard in the NHS, what founders often get wrong, and why stakeholder engagement, evidence, procurement, and co-designed deployment matter so much. We also explored the role of AI, digital health, and innovation in improving care without losing sight of the operational realities.

A really practical and honest discussion for anyone building, funding, or supporting healthtech.

#TechPulseHealthcare #HealthTech #DigitalHealth #NHSInnovation #AI #Podcast #HealthcareInnovation #Commercialisation

TechPulse Healthcare: Transforming Healthcare with XR & AI Episode with Sonya Cullington MA MSc – Cyberpsychologist, NHS Communications AI Network Co-Chair

In our first 2026 episode, Sonya Cullington reveals why AI adoption in NHS communications is stalling – despite 230 million weekly ChatGPT health queries from patients.

From GP receptionist (complete with filing cabinet nostalgia) to European Parliament policy lead and Number 10 COVID misinfo campaign, Sonya brings battle-tested insight to:

• Why patients trust "confidently wrong" AI more than clinicians

• Cyberpsychology's role in tech adoption (it's 90% human behaviour)

• The NHS Communications AI Operating Framework – ethical principles that work • Judgment frameworks > tool hype (Copilot licenses don't magically transform)

• "Design for the AI-powered patient" – clinicians must adapt to reality Sonya debunks myths, shares failures, and gives practical steps for health tech innovators working with the NHS.

Hosted by Atif Nasim & Jonathan Probets

A mother. A healthcare executive. A near-fatal medication error.

Two hospital IT systems couldn't talk to each other — and it nearly cost Kristen Valdes her daughter's life.

That moment changed everything.Kristen left her secure career and founded b.well Connected Health — now the company powering health data connectivity for OpenAI's ChatGPT Health.

We had the privilege of sitting down with Kristen on the TechPulse Healthcare Podcast this week, and the conversation was extraordinary.

Here's what stuck with me:

🔹 Her daughter has a rare disease that costs $550,000/year to manage. The family imports one medication from another country to save $250K/year. This isn't theory — it's their daily reality.

🔹 b.well Connected Health has connected 2.4 million providers, 340 payers, and 600+ wearables into one platform — the largest connected health data footprint in the US.

🔹 Kristen helped change US federal law to give patients the right to access their full health record through any app of their choosing.

🔹 Her new initiative "Kill the Clipboard" lets patients push their medical records to any doctor via QR code. No more filling in forms at reception.

🔹 Her boldest prediction? "It will soon be negligent for doctors NOT to use AI when diagnosing and treating."

And here's what hit home for me personally — I went with my mother to an NHS appointment last week. In one department they had her details wrong. Different data in the same hospital. I'd assumed fragmented health data was a US problem. It isn't.

Whether you're in healthcare, tech, or just a patient navigating the system — this episode is worth 30 minutes of your time.