#251 - One does not simply 'digitise healthcare'
The one-minute healthtech roundup, brought to you by SomX.
Hey friends,
This week: Tandem picks up ā¬42.6 million, Microsoftās claims their AI is an overachiever, but thereās one story thatās been living rent-free in Pigeonās head - the NHS 10 year plan is finally hereā¦ so lets get into it.
Your friends all listen to podcasts. Feel like youāre in on the conversation by listening to the Healthtech Pigeon podcast ā”ļø SomXās Jessica Somauroo and Huw Penson dive into the weekāsā healthtech stories (ok fine, it was just the one this week - sorry global listeners. Back with usual programming next week) with help from Together Digitalās Liam Cahill and The Health Foundationās Malte Gerhold. Available now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
And if you needed more on the NHS 10 Year Plan, since everyone on LinkedIn seemed to be waiting for Liamās summary of hot takes, James convinced him to bring it to The Healthtech Podcastās First Look šš¼
News Bites š„Ŗ
š NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future ā A 12-hour delay didnāt help Pigeonās stress levels, but the plan to end all plans is finally here. Covering everything from shifting care to a community-led approach to a strong push for preventative healthcare models, we felt we needed backup to support our analysis (or at least, people whoād read it in depth). Liam Cahill and Malte Gerhold jump in to share their thoughts on this week's podcast. Pigeon might have stopped banging on about it by next weekās editionā¦ or will it?!
š Swedish startup Tandem Health secures ā¬42.6 million to reduce admin burden on clinicians ā Just because itās 10 year plan week, it doesnāt mean there isnāt other news, and clinical scribe tech Tandemās continues their run of good news with a massive raise.
šAI tool that is āmore accurateā than doctors to āreshapeā healthcare ā Microsoft claims its new AI, MAI-DxO, can diagnose complex medical cases with four times the accuracy of veteran doctors. In a test of 304 cases, the AI hit 85% accuracy, while 21 seasoned clinicians averaged just under 20%. The study hasnāt been peer-reviewed (yet), but it also claims the tool could cut diagnostic costs by 20%. Of course Microsoft insists it's here to help doctors, not replace them.
š¤ AI tool will launch on NHS App to help tackle health inequalities ā The NHS App is getting a makeover and the newest addition to the roster? A new AI tool called My Companion designed to support patients in asking questions and expressing their health needs confidently, even the ones they might forget or feel awkward asking in person. The tool aims to give patients direct access to trusted health information with the goal of patients having more control over their health and make care more accessible.
šBelfast femtech startup Joii brings medical-grade period tracking to the masses ā Pigeon loves a world first story: Joii has combined a smart pad with an AI-powered app to create a period tracker that delivers real-time, clinically validated insights. It helps users understand symptoms, spot abnormalities, and have more informed conversations with their doctors. Backed by research and already improving menstrual health literacy and GP communication, Joii is turning period tracking from guesswork into real healthcare data.
šŗšø Is RFK Jr's divisive plan to Make America Healthy Again fearmongering - or revolutionary? ā Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has seemingly taken over U.S. public health with an iron fist. Heās axed thousands of jobs, gutted the CDC, and declared artificial additives the enemy. Itās safe to say heās shaking things up, one banned snack and controversial statement at a time
š āāļø Why new tech alone doesn't result in equitable health care ā Experts (and Pigeon) are politely begging us to stop dropping shiny, broken medical gadgets into underserved communities without a plan for how to use or fix them. A concerning 97% of donated equipment ends up in the hospital graveyard of unusable tech. Maybe instead, we ask whatās actually needed and train people to maintain it so it doesnāt go to waste. Just a thought...
What to listen to š
Events š
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 (weāre trying to work out what an NHS reverse pitch is!) and a former government health minister on DJ duties (donāt worry, heās got the chops), itās probably not one to miss. Use the code SOMX15 for 15% off your ticket price.
HealthTech Connect: Networking for Health Startups, Investors, Innovators
ā°July 7
š London
BMJ Future Health Summer Social
ā°July 9
š London
HIMSS AI in Healthcare Forum
ā° July 10-11
š New York
Digital Technology and AI ā The Future for Pharmacy & Medicines Usage
ā° July 10
š London
Bridging the Digital Literacy Gap: Equipping Clinicians with the Future Skills They Need.
ā° July 25
š Online
Visit the SomX events page or subscribe to SomXās events roundup to see all of the best upcoming healthtech, biotech and healthcare events.
Opportunities šµļøāāļø
š· Software Engineer (Fullstack - Growth), Heidi Health ā Does owning the end-to-end development of high-impact features sound like your kind of fun? In this role, youāll collaborate with world-class engineers and team up with product, design, and AI to turn ideas into real customer value. If that doesnāt sound like a good time, we donāt know what does!
š©ŗ Consultant Endocrinologist, Oviva ā While Pigeon struggles to even pronounce Endocrinologist, it does sound like a pretty cool role! You get to deliver life-changing care, develop personalised treatments and share your expert insights to enhance Onviaās weight management services. Apple today!
š§āš» Lead Product Manager, ZOE ā Do you want to be responsible for building features that improve the user journey? Can you Lead the end-to-end product development lifecycle? Are you ready for your next big opportunity? You know what to do!
š Medical Affairs and Regulatory Adviser, Numan ā Contrary to popular belief, regulation can be sexy. In this role, youāll be a key player on Numanās Legal, Data, Governance, and Regulatory team, making sure the company stays compliant while pushing commercial goals forward. So what are you waiting for? That application wonāt write itself.
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.