We are UHB: Leonardo Tantari, Chief Information Officer

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust runs Good Hope, Heartlands, Solihull hospitals, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, the Birmingham Chest Clinic, and Solihull community services.

At University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB), digital innovation is more than a strategic lever: it’s a commitment to improving lives. It’s about enabling our colleagues to deliver exceptional care, enhancing patient outcomes, and shaping a smarter, more responsive healthcare system. For me, this mission is deeply personal.

My journey began in Italy at age 14, translating English documentation word by word to teach myself how to build video games. That early curiosity and determination laid the foundation for a career spanning over 25 years across global organisations including Experian, Walgreens Boots Alliance, and Travelex. From pharmacy management systems to pioneering the first automated pharmacy in Preston at Boots, these experiences fuelled a lasting passion for healthcare innovation.

In 2020, I made a pivotal shift from private sector to public service. As I approached a milestone birthday, I felt a strong pull to give back. That led me to Leeds, where I took on a unique dual role as Chief Digital Information Officer for both Leeds City Council and the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board; one of the few such roles nationally.

Today, at UHB, I continue that journey with a clear focus: using digital transformation not just to optimise systems, but to make a tangible difference in people’s lives.

What I do, I know will make a difference, ultimately to the delivery of care. It’s not about generating profit for shareholders. It’s about improving patient care and supporting our community.

My day starts early. I’m up at 5:00am and on the road by 6:00am, commuting from west Leicester to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. That hour-long drive often becomes a mobile office, filled with calls, planning sessions, and reflection.

Once I arrive, the pace doesn’t slow. My diary is packed with meetings, engagement sessions with frontline staff, strategic planning, and innovation workshops. I thrive on staying connected with colleagues at every level.

I love being connected with colleagues. It’s how we stay grounded, informed, and aligned. My diary is always full, much to the dismay of my executive assistant, but that’s how I thrive.

UHB is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, with over 24,000 colleagues across four sites and partnerships including Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, and the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board. Leading digital transformation in such a complex environment demands agility, empathy, and bold thinking.

You can’t split yourself into multiple parts. That’s why I rely on our incredible Digital Services team – over 800 colleagues – who help us stay connected, informed, and responsive.

The pace of change is relentless. Regulatory shifts, economic pressures, and rising healthcare demands aren’t obstacles, they are opportunities to innovate. I champion a philosophy of continuous improvement: trialling ideas, learning from feedback, and scaling what works. Whether it’s AI-powered tools, geolocation tracking, or smarter check-in systems, my focus is always on solutions that matter.

Digital should be an enabler and a transformative agent. It should take care of repetitive tasks so that staff, nurses and doctors can focus on what really matters: saving lives, treating patients, and communicating with them.

My leadership is grounded in UHB’s core values, kind, connected and bold. I want to support colleagues through change with empathy, engage meaningfully across teams and disciplines and advocate for better ways of working, even when it’s hard. I’m here to make a difference. To push for innovation, but always with empathy and respect. If there’s a better way, we need to be bold enough to pursue it.

We believe in iterative change, not disruptive overhauls. By trialling innovations and scaling what works, we stay agile and responsive, mirroring clinical practice and ensuring technology serves real-world needs.

Looking ahead, we’re preparing for a major modernisation programme. Our vision includes AI and automation, which will reduce administrative burden and enhance clinical decision-making; smart infrastructure, such as geolocation tracking, real-time monitoring, and intelligent devices, coupled with agile ways of working; systems that adapt to changing needs and pressures. These initiatives aim to build a more agile, efficient, and patient-centred healthcare environment, where technology empowers staff and improves outcomes.

If you’re inspired by Leonardo, and would like to join #teamUHB, visit our Jobs website below to see all our current opportunities: