Up, Up and Away - the digital health podcast

What does digital inclusion really mean in a world rushing towards AI, automation and digital-first services?

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2337569/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Up, Up and Away, Dom Burch and Saira Arif sit down with Emma Weston, founder of Digital Unite, to explore one of the most important—and often overlooked—questions in digital health and public services: Who are we leaving behind? As Digital Unite marks its 30-year anniversary, Emma reflects on why digital exclusion remains such a persistent challenge. The conversation explores how decades of well-intentioned effort have failed to shift the dial—largely because we’ve been trying to solve a systemic problem with short-term, project-based thinking. Emma makes a compelling case for reframing digital inclusion—not as a side initiative, but as a core organisational responsibility. In a world where digital is now the front door to healthcare, services and opportunity, inclusion must be treated as a long-term investment in people, access and outcomes. The episode also examines the growing impact of AI. While full of promise, it risks widening existing inequalities if we haven’t yet addressed the fundamentals—digital confidence, literacy and access. From people without email addresses to care leavers navigating a digital-first world, this conversation brings big ideas back to real human experiences. Crucially, it’s not all doom and gloom. Emma shares what is working—from Digital Champions to community-led support—and leaves listeners with a practical challenge: Where are we still treating digital inclusion as a bolt-on—and what would it look like to make it part of how we operate every day? 🔑 Key Themes * Digital exclusion isn’t going away Despite 30 years of effort, the problem persists—and in many cases is getting worse. * We’re solving the wrong problem the wrong way Short-term projects can’t fix a long-term, structural issue. * Digital literacy is now a basic life skill As essential as reading, writing and arithmetic in modern society. * AI could widen the gap We’re accelerating into the future without fixing the foundations. * Access doesn’t equal inclusion Devices and connectivity aren’t enough—confidence, skills and usability matter. * The power of Digital Champions Peer-to-peer support and community networks are key to scaling impact. * From funding to investment Digital inclusion should be embedded into how organisations operate—not treated as a nice-to-have. * Start with conversation, not perfection Small, practical steps—especially across teams—can begin to drive real change. Find out more Emma Weston and Digital Unite. [https://www.digitalunite.com/]

Dr Lewis Thomas — Sickle Cell, Burnout, Coaching, and Building The Sickleverse

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2337569/fan_mail/new] In this episode, host Dom Burch speaks with Dr Lewis Thomas, a former NHS GP and accredited life coach who lives with sickle cell anaemia. Lewis shares how lived experience, medical training, and coaching came together — and why social media may now be one of the most powerful tools for reaching patients the healthcare system struggles to reach. 🔥 Key Topics Covered 🩸 1) Living with sickle cell — and the fear that comes with misunderstanding Lewis describes his first major sickle cell crisis at age 12 as “the worst pain imaginable” — but also explains how confusion and lack of understanding from others created fear and uncertainty. 🏥 2) Becoming a doctor — and ending up admitted to the hospitals he worked in Lewis explains how junior doctor stress made his symptoms worse, leading to hospital admissions inside the very system he was training in. 🧱 3) The NHS reality: broken systems, limited time, limited resources He shares how the system’s lack of capacity makes it difficult for clinicians to truly help — especially when conditions like sickle cell don’t fit “tick-box” patterns. 🌊 4) Post-Covid general practice: “a tsunami” of angry, exhausted patients Lewis describes how the emotional weight of post-Covid demand wore him down over time, as patients returned with unmet needs, delayed care, and mounting frustration. 🧠 5) The turning point: discovering Flow on holiday in Greece While on holiday, Lewis read Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi — and realised there were people who loved their work and lived in a state of purpose… and that he didn’t feel that as a GP. 💬 6) Life coaching: “holding space” and helping people change their lives Lewis shares how coaching gave him a new model of care — one based on listening, clarity, and helping people find their own answers, not just prescribing. 📱 7) Why TikTok reached people a GP surgery never could Lewis explains how social media enabled him to reach people with sickle cell who might never seek help through traditional routes — delivering bite-sized, trusted education directly to their phones. 🌍 8) The Sickleverse: building community, confidence, and agency The Sickleverse brings people together globally, giving access to education, peer support, and a space that reduces the isolation many people feel living with sickle cell. 🤝 9) Trust, racism, and why partnership matters Lewis speaks openly about mistrust in medical systems — particularly in Black communities disproportionately affected by sickle cell — and why working with credible voices and influencers can help overcome barriers. 🩺 10) Authenticity over authority One of the most memorable insights: Lewis doesn’t need to wear a suit or a stethoscope to help people — he can show up as himself, and that’s exactly why people listen. 🔗 Links & Resources * Join The Sickleverse: www.sickleverse.com [http://www.sickleverse.com/] * Book mentioned: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Terri Quigley: Lived experience, severe asthma, and why digital tools can save lives

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2337569/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Up Up and Away, Dom Burch is joined by Terri Quigley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/terri-quigley-456544177/] — a Project Manager at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, an award-winning Participation & Engagement Coordinator, and a passionate advocate for respiratory health and lived-experience-led change. Terri brings a uniquely powerful perspective. She works inside the system, helping shape services for children and young people — but she’s also a parent, and she and her teenage son Ethan both live with severe asthma. That combination of professional insight and lived experience makes this a conversation that’s as practical as it is emotional. Terri shares why the Digital Health Passport has been a genuine “game-changer” for their family — not just in improving asthma control, but in helping Ethan build confidence, reduce anxiety, and take ownership of his condition as he becomes more independent. One of the standout moments is Terri’s story of Ethan going on his Duke of Edinburgh expedition, managing asthma, allergies and a complex routine of medications — including inhalers and biologic injections — and how the app helped make that possible in a way that felt safe for both of them. The conversation also explores the bigger system challenge: what meaningful participation really looks like, why “sending out a survey” isn’t enough, and why lived experience needs to be present in the board-level meetings where decisions are made. Terri describes the moment that spurred her into action — seeing a meme of a board meeting about young women’s health made up almost entirely of older white men — and how that pushed her to help create a clearer framework for involvement, including simple “crib sheets” that make participation less intimidating and more effective. Terri also speaks candidly about asthma anxiety, why many children avoid PE and physical activity, and how fear can sometimes be unintentionally passed down from parents who simply don’t feel confident about what to do when symptoms flare. And towards the end, Terri leaves listeners with a message that’s hard to ignore: asthma deaths are overwhelmingly preventable — yet families are still being let down. Her call is simple and urgent: if we empower patients and carers with better understanding, better tools, and better support, we can prevent avoidable A&E visits — and save lives. Terri also highlights the campaign “Too much blue, get a review” — a simple but vital reminder that if you’re using your blue reliever inhaler more than three times a week when you’re well, it’s time to speak to a healthcare professional. Links & resources * Too much blue, get a review [https://www.cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk/posts/too-much-blue-get-a-review-campaign-aimed-at-helping-children-and-young-people-manage-asthma/] — if you’re using your blue reliever inhaler more than three times a week when you’re well, it’s time to speak to a healthcare professional. * Learn more about the Digital Health Passport  [https://digitalhealthpassport.co/]from Tiny Medical Apps.

From the Clinic to the System: Asthma & Lung UK's Naomi Watt on Designing for Engagement

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2337569/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Up, Up & Away, host Dom Burch is joined by Naomi Watt [https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-watt-18280878/], from Asthma + Lung UK, for a wide-ranging conversation about behaviour, motivation, and what it really takes to design digital health tools that people actually use. Naomi reflects on her early career as a respiratory nurse — from reading X-rays on lightboxes to working in A&E, general practice and helplines — and how her passion for learning helped her absorb knowledge almost by osmosis. But she also shares a pivotal realisation: just because she cared deeply about respiratory health didn’t mean everyone else did, or could, in the same way. That insight became central to her later work. Post-COVID, Asthma + Lung UK recognised that healthcare professionals themselves were a missing link in improving care for people with lung conditions. Clinicians were coming from a huge range of backgrounds — GPs, paramedics, pharmacists, practice nurses — with very different levels of confidence, knowledge and support, often working in isolation within a stretched NHS. This led Naomi to design the Health Professionals Hub [https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/healthcare-professionals]: a dedicated digital portal built not around information overload, but around how people feel when they go looking for help. Drawing on self-determination theory, she explains how autonomy, competence and relatedness underpin engagement — particularly when healthcare professionals are dealing with imposter syndrome or uncertainty. Naomi introduces the memorable idea of three “knowledge moments” — the “oh no”, “oh” and “ah” moments — and how designing for psychological safety, accessibility and plain English can turn panic into curiosity. She shares practical examples of how small, thoughtful tools can lead to meaningful changes in clinical practice and patient outcomes. The conversation then widens to young people with long-term conditions, exploring why digital health tools must reflect real life rather than neat clinical silos — and why collaboration matters more than duplication. Naomi makes a powerful case for charities, the NHS and technology partners working together, sharing trusted expertise so it can travel further and reach people in the moments that matter. This episode is not about an app. It’s about empathy, behaviour, and what it means to design healthcare systems that help people feel capable, connected and supported. Topics covered * Naomi’s journey from frontline clinician to system-level designer * Why healthcare professionals were the “missing link” post-COVID * Designing for motivation, not just information * Self-determination theory: autonomy, competence and belonging * Psychological safety and tackling imposter syndrome * Why collaboration beats duplication in digital health * Supporting young people with long-term conditions in the real world

Tackling Inequalities in Children’s Asthma — Learning from Brent Health Matters

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2337569/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Up, Up and Away, Dom Burch speaks with Bethan Almeida, a senior nurse in Brent Health Matters, about childhood asthma, health inequalities, and what effective, community-led healthcare looks like in practice. Bethan leads the children’s asthma workstream in one of the UK’s most diverse boroughs, where 149 languages are spoken and many families face barriers around health literacy, income, housing, and access to care. Her role bridges clinical care, public health, and system improvement, with a focus on preventing avoidable asthma harm. Bethan explains how traditional healthcare pathways often disadvantage families who lack time, money, or confidence to navigate complex systems. Too many children reach specialist care far later than necessary, when much of the harm could have been prevented earlier in the community. A key insight is that clinicians are not always the most trusted messengers. Families may say everything is fine in appointments, but share the reality with people they already trust — sports coaches, faith leaders, or community organisers. These individuals often have regular contact with families and the time to spot issues early and offer practical support. Brent’s progress has been enabled by genuine NHS–council collaboration, using existing public health networks rather than building relationships from scratch. This has helped shift care from reactive to proactive — bringing services to families rather than waiting for crises. One of the most powerful themes is what Bethan calls “compassionate discrimination”. Well-meaning professionals sometimes withhold full advice — for example about reducing dust mites or improving ventilation — because they assume families can’t afford to act on it. While compassionate, this lowers the bar of information and deepens inequality. Bethan argues that everyone deserves the same information, with extra support provided to help those who need it act on that advice. The team also moved away from standard leaflets after communities said they were inaccessible. Instead, they co-designed simple, visual, multimedia resources that people actually use. A standout innovation is the Asthma Community Coaches programme — trained local volunteers who support families, challenge myths, make referrals into clinical pathways, and feed real-world insight back into the system. To date, 58 volunteers have completed the programme. As a result of this work, Brent now has local asthma diagnosis, high-risk clinics, and sustainable pathways that will continue beyond individual staff members. The episode reinforces a simple but powerful message: people don’t need less information — they need better translation, better support, and genuine partnership.