Kevin Jarrold, a long-term Chief Information Officer (CIO) in the NHS, has recently retired after dedicating 38 years to the healthcare sector.
His retirement from his joint role at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust took effect on 30 September 2024. However, he will continue to serve as CIO for the North West London Integrated Care Board (ICB) for the remainder of 2024.
During his tenure as CIO at Imperial College Healthcare, which began in 2011, Jarrold played a crucial role in transitioning from paper health records to an electronic patient record (EPR) system. This initiative earned the trust NHS global digital exemplar status, in collaboration with Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
Subsequently, as joint CIO, Jarrold facilitated collaborative efforts between the two organizations to streamline their EPR systems. This led to the consolidation of the EPR as the unified system for the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative, with successful implementations at London North West University Healthcare Trust and Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Under his leadership, the North West London Care Information Exchange expanded to become the largest patient portal in the country, benefitting over 750,000 registered patients by providing access to appointments, letters, and test results.
Reflecting on his career, Jarrold expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work with talented colleagues and outlined the transformative journey towards digital healthcare he spearheaded. He highlighted the importance of digital innovation in enhancing patient care and expressed confidence in the ongoing success under the leadership of Robbie Cline, who has been appointed as the new CIO for the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative.
Recognizing the need for further integration and collaboration, the Collaborative made the strategic decision to transition to a single CIO position, marking a new chapter in their digital transformation journey.
