This Week’s Top 5: Philips, NHS, Patchwork, Mars and Nokia

1. Philips Appoints Technology Chief and First Chief AI Officer

Philips has announced two major changes to its executive committee and technology leadership, signalling AI’s increasingly integral role in company strategy.

Marking a first at Philips, Shez Partovi will take on the role of Chief AI Officer and will, according to CEO Roy Jakobs, “guide our transformation into a people-led, AI-powered company.”

Announced at the same time, Laura Matz joins Philips from Merck KGaA as its latest Chief Innovation and Technology Officer.

“These appointments strengthen our Executive Committee as we accelerate our plan to drive profitable growth to deliver sustainable value,” writes Roy on LinkedIn.

“They sharpen our focus on creating more value through innovation and AI so we can deliver better care for more people,” he continues.

2. NHS England, Patchwork and the Push to Cut Staffing Spend

The NHS has cut billions off its workforce bill in recent years by reducing its reliance on agency workers, but temporary staffing remains a significant expenditure for the health service.

NHS England's 2024/25 annual report shows that £2.07bn (US$2.79bn) was spent on agency staffing. In 2023/24, this figure was £3.02bn (US$4bn) and £3.46bn (US$4.67bn) in 2022/23.

As the NHS starts to turn the tide on high agency staffing costs, digital workforce platform Patchwork Health says its technology has helped NHS organisations save around £250m (US$338m) in workforce costs over ten years.

Patchwork says it has saved the NHS the equivalent of almost 6,500 first year resident doctors' annual salaries in England, based on the current pay scale.

Commenting on the reported savings, Saira Shah, Chief People Officer at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, says: “Reducing workforce costs and cutting down on the use of third-party agencies is central to putting our health service on a more stable footing, and it’s great to see Trusts up and down the country taking an innovative approach to tackling challenges.

“These savings are a testament to what can be achieved when Trusts, clinicians and innovators work together to design and implement solutions that work for everyone.”

3. George Godfrey Named Novo Nordisk UK Medical Lead

Novo Nordisk UK has appointed former AstraZeneca UK executive George Godfrey as its Senior Director of Medical and Regulatory.

Based in Gatwick, West Sussex, Novo Nordisk UK is the British affiliate of Danish healthcare giant Novo Nordisk, and shares its clinical focus on diabetes, obesity and other serious chronic diseases. 

The company also operates a research and development centre in Oxford, which focuses on identifying novel therapies for patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases. 

“I’m very excited to be starting at Novo Nordisk as Senior Director of Medical and Regulatory”, says George. “Working as a physician, you see the unmet needs many patients face first-hand, day in, day out.

“Our industry has the opportunity to bring scientific advances to patients to try to change these realities, and in our field of medical and regulatory, we are privileged to work so closely to the groundbreaking science that sits behind that.”

4. Mars Impact Fund Commits US$13m Toward Healthcare Programmes

Mars, Incorporated has announced more than US$13m in new grants through its Mars Impact Fund, with a significant proportion of the latest investment focused on healthcare, disease prevention and community wellbeing.

The funding spans Côte d’Ivoire, India, the US and Thailand, supporting programmes ranging from healthcare access for cocoa-farming communities and child nutrition to veterinary services and rabies prevention.

Six strategic partnerships will support initiatives covering healthcare access, maternal and child health, public health, education, veterinary medicine and scientific careers.

The latest funding forms part of a wider portfolio of Mars Impact Fund partnerships launched during 2026, highlighting the company’s growing focus on programmes that address health and wellbeing at a community level.

Michelle Grogg, Executive Director of the Mars Impact Fund, says: "Access to healthcare and disease prevention are fundamental to the strength and resilience of local communities.

“Health challenges facing people and animals require strong local systems to succeed, which is why we support partners whose work builds on existing national infrastructure, helping proven approaches reach more communities and deliver lasting impact."

5. Nokia and BeeHealthy: Simplifying Digital Healthcare Access 

As healthcare providers increasingly move appointments, consultations and patient services online, securing digital access without creating friction for patients is becoming a growing priority. 

In response, Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia is working with BeeHealthy to address this challenge through network-based verification, replacing traditional SMS one-time passcodes with authentication that occurs seamlessly in the background. 

The commercial agreement marks the first healthcare customer for Nokia’s Network as Code platform, creating a new use case for programmable network APIs while giving BeeHealthy a way to strengthen security across its digital healthcare services.

“Digital healthcare depends on making access both simple and secure. By integrating Nokia’s network-based verification into our platform, we can give customers a faster, more seamless experience while strengthening trust for the providers and insurers we serve,” says BeeHealthy CEO Oskari Eskola.