Digital Health Coffee Time Briefing ☕

Your morning summary of digital health news, information and events to know about if you want to be “in the know”.

👇 News

📝 Norfolk and Waveney NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) has awarded a £1.2 million contract to Prescribing Services to provide digital tools for population health management and risk stratification. The contract runs until September 2027 and will support the ICB’s strategy to better target care by using data to identify health risks and plan interventions. The service will include tailored data analysis and digital platforms designed to help NHS teams and partners access and act on population health insights. 

📷 Boots has launched an AI-powered tool that can screen for more than 70 skin conditions. The Boots Online Doctor SmartSkin Checker enables users to upload a photo of their skin concern. The AI tool then analyses the photo and returns up to five possible conditions, such as acne, eczema, rosacea, impetigo and fungal infections. According to Boots, there is a 95% likelihood that one of the five results returned by the SmartSkin Checker is the correct condition. While it’s not designed as a diagnostic tool, SmartSkin Checker can provide customers with an indication and advise them on next steps, Boots said.

🩸 A smartphone app that helps people with type 1 diabetes automatically control their insulin is now available on iPhones in the UK. Mylife CamAPS FX connects to a compatible insulin pump and glucose sensor to track blood sugar levels and adjust insulin delivery throughout the day. Developed by UK-based company CamDiab and Swiss medical device firm Ypsomed, the app is designed to reduce the need for manual injections and make managing diabetes simpler and more discreet.

🧑🏾‍💻 DementiaNet has launched an online tool offering personalised guidance and help to people living with dementia and those who care for them. The platform is designed around simplicity and accessibility, developed using lived experience and extensive research. A built-in search tool connects users with relevant activities in their local area, which dementia support groups can use to add their event or gathering to. It also offers a secure digital vault, downloadable planning tools and a step-by-step dashboard to help people tackle care plans and other tasks.

🚺 An AI-enabled women’s health service is being trialled among staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Developed in partnership with digital health company Aneira Health, the service offers personalised, convenient care designed to fit around users’ lives and improve access to support for women working in healthcare. The pilot is currently open to a small cohort of the trust’s staff, with the aim of expanding the initiative based on the results. 

❓Did you know? 

Doctors, nurses and allied health professionals earn more than science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates one year after finishing university, new Health Foundation analysis finds. However, while doctors retain this earnings advantage over time, nurses’ salaries grow much more slowly.

Data from the Health Foundation shows that, five years post-graduation, nurses fall behind both STEM and business graduates in terms of salary progression, despite having higher employment rates at one, three and five years post-graduation.

📖 What we’re reading

In a blog for NHS Providers, Chris Fleming, health and care lead at Public Digital, reflects on how digital tools could support more proactive and preventative healthcare. 

‘The digital road to preventative care‘, published on 20 May 2025, follows a roundtable discussion hosted by NHS Providers that brought together national, system and trust leaders to explore the role of digital tools in prevention.

The NHS App was highlighted as a key platform with the potential to support this shift, provided it avoids becoming overloaded or confusing for users. Participants also emphasised the need for digital tools to move beyond one-off transactions and support more personalised, continuous care journeys.

The discussion underscored that data infrastructure and information governance remain critical enablers, and that better service design facilitated by user-led features and clearer communication can help drive behavioural change.

Participants agreed that technology IT platforms will only realise their full potential if they can be adapted to local needs and are designed with input from frontline staff.

🚨 Upcoming events

16–19 June, Amsterdam — HLTH Europe 2025