#250 - Remember to tip your doctor 💵
The one-minute healthtech roundup, brought to you by SomX.
Hey friends,
This week: The NHS plans to DNA test all newborn babies for rare diseases, the NHS app pivots to take on Deliveroo (in spirit, at least), and an Uber-like service for getting off antidepressants launches in the US.
Your friends all listen to podcasts. Feel like you’re in on the conversation by listening to the Healthtech Pigeon podcast ➡️ SomX’s Belle Taylor and Andrew Hair dive into the weeks’ healthtech stories with help from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s Dr Fahmid Chowdhury. Available now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
News Bites 🥪
💀 Patient's death linked to cyber attack on NHS, hospital trust says – In the first case of its kind, tragedy has struck King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as a patient died unexpectedly at least partially due to delays in receiving blood test results, when the pathology services were derailed during the cyber attack.
🧬 NHS plans to DNA test all babies to assess disease risk – This mass screening initiative will sequence the DNA of newborn babies using blood samples taken straight from the umbilical cord, before they’re even in nappies. The goal? To detect early signs of rare single-gene disorders that can develop in early childhood. It is both a promising step toward a preventative healthcare future and a national-level data privacy nightmare waiting to happen. Things can be two things at the same time. Don’t @ us.
🩺 NHS app will become ‘doctor in your pocket’ – Clinicians, get ready to answer patients’ questions through an app, but only when the AI finally gives up. The NHS app is set to become a ChatGPT-style service that will rank hospitals, respond to patients' questions and answer queries. It’s all because people are increasingly going private, and so expect a standard of care equivalent to the experience they’re used to from Deliveroo. At least we’re setting the bar relatively low there.
🚕 ‘Uber for Getting Off Antidepressants’ Launches in the US – Outro: a health tech startup launched across the pond in seven US states last month, offers patients clinically guided support to gradually stop taking antidepressants to avoid negative side effects like dizziness and nausea.
🇿🇦 Why Africa’s first healthtech unicorn is closer than you think – In 2025, African healthtech startups have so far raised $1.055 billion, with successful exits like InstaDeep’s billion-dollar acquisition by BioNTech. With figures suggesting that Africa is the most efficient unicorn-producing region in the world in terms of dollars invested, who’s going to be the first healthtech company to grab the $1bn+ valuation.
🩻 New AI chest X-ray software to speed up diagnosis and improve patient care – The new tool, backed by the NHS AI Diagnostic Fund, acts as a “second pair of eyes,” spotting up to 85 conditions, including lung cancer and infections, in a matter of minutes.
🤖 UK MHRA leads safe use of AI in healthcare as first country in new global network – Our resident compliance commissars at the MHRA are set to join the HealthAI Global Regulatory Network, collaborating with regulators worldwide to shape international standards and oversee the safety and performance of AI tools in clinical practice. Eventually, that is – as of writing, we’re the only members in a network of one.
🤑 Best Buy sells Current Health back to Co-Founder, former CEO – Christopher McGhee has become the comeback kid this week, rebuying his former company less than four years after flogging it to Best Buy. He reportedly has characteristically modest plans to build it into a “globally significant company”. Recent signs of underperformance in their home care division, Pigeon wonders whether this move might be a divorce of mutual convenience.
🧑⚕️ Doctors are using unapproved AI software to record patient meetings, investigation reveals – NHS bosses have taken umbrage this week over GPs’ controversial use of AI software that doesn’t meet the minimum safety requirements to record and transcribe patient conversation. It comes just weeks after they got as close as the NHS gets to saying “deffo use these tools”. Presumably someone felt some clarification was needed that only 10 of them actually comply with the requirements outlined.
What to listen to 🔊
Events 📅
FEATURED: SomX Healthtech Talks is back with a bang for a special (and important) conversation - June 30th, 2025, Google Tottenham Court Rd Office, London.
Pigeon was as shocked as everyone else when they arrived (almost) late to April’s event to find snaking queues out of the door - with the line up the SomX team have in store for this one, this is definitely a discussion you’ll want to be a part of. And yes - they’re keeping you guessing for a bit longer because as the saying goes, a little bit of mystery keeps the spark alive ✨
As they continue to work on securing a whole stadium (apparently Bey takes priority atm…) tickets are still super limited, so register your interest ASAP.
FEATURED: The Glastonbury of Healthtech is coming to Oxfordshire! Join us at THE FIX! - September 18th, 2025, Harwell Science Campus
Tickets are flying off the shelves (shelves are a metaphor, but the sales are real) for this healthtech festival like no other. WIth a bunch of new partners onboard, and a host of existing sessions planned (we’re trying to work out what an NHS reverse pitch is!) and a former government health minister on DJ duties (don’t worry, he’s got the chops), it’s probably not one to miss. Use the code SOMX15 for 15% off your ticket price.
The Annual Healthcare Technology Show and Exhibition 2025
⏰July 1
📍Salford
HealthTech Integrates 2025
⏰July 3
📍 Manchester
Health Tech Investment Conference
⏰July 3
📍 Online
HealthTech Connect: Networking for Health Startups, Investors, Innovators
⏰July 7
📍 London
HIMSS AI in Healthcare Forum
⏰ July 10-11
📍 New York
Digital Technology and AI — The Future for Pharmacy & Medicines Usage
⏰ July 10
📍 London
Bridging the Digital Literacy Gap: Equipping Clinicians with the Future Skills They Need.
⏰ July 25
📍 Online
Visit the SomX events page or subscribe to SomX’s events roundup to see all of the best upcoming healthtech, biotech and healthcare events.
Opportunities 🕵️♀️
💻 Frontend Web Application Developer, EQL – Are you an experienced mid to senior-level front-end developer on the hunt for your next move? You’ll be involved in building high-quality software that has a real-world impact by improving the lives of patients and healthcare professionals.
💰 Business Development Manager, Brain + – Do you have a passion for changing the way dementia care is delivered? This role is ideal for anyone who knows how to open doors, spark conversations and turn interest into action at scale by bringing the Ayla dementia care platform to care homes across the UK.
Subject Matter Expert, Women’s Health, Numan – Women’s health advocates to the front for this one. This exciting position will involve shaping the delivery of care across peri/menopause, reproductive health and midlife preventative services.
Got news, jobs or events you think is worth coo-ing over? Let us know! Email us: news@healthtechpigeon.com
Healthtech Pigeon is curated and produced by SomX, the communications and creative agency for healthcare. We are clinicians, scientists, creatives and communicators dedicated to serving our healthtech, biotech, pharma and public sector clients with services across strategy, content, PR, design, events and media production. Get in touch to learn more.