Dr Robert Smillie

Rob studied medicine at the University of Oxford, following which he was appointed as an academic foundation doctor in the North Central and East London deanery.

Whilst at Oxford, Rob utilised genetic epidemiological techniques during research into the aetiology of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. As an academic trainee at the Royal Free he used gene expression studies to investigate the mechanisms behind a novel therapeutic. During his training, a quality improvement project he undertook on digital transformation of clinical workflows was taken to a Trust review panel, and a project on patient safety has been presented nationally.

Rob is currently the Chief Medical Information Officer for Innovation at the Royal Free, a role he will continue whilst on the fellow scheme. He has a real interest in decision support systems as applied to healthcare and the use of real-world healthcare data as a driver of transformational change. His motivation for the CMIO role is a belief that proper utilisation of existing digital services and adoption of new technologies are crucial to help meet the growing demands on the health service and deliver a future of better care.

Reason for applying for the scheme

Rob appreciates that strong medical leadership will give healthcare systems the best opportunity to evolve and improve performance in patient care over the coming decades. He hopes the fellowship year will provide him with some of the experience and skills to play a key role in this throughout his career.

Whilst at NHS England, Rob wants to gain an appreciation of the NHS landscape and the complexities of healthcare systems to better understand the current challenges and to appreciate the diverse range of solutions that are possible now, or will become possible in the future. He also plans to use the fellowship to develop his understanding of how changes are agreed upon and implemented nationally across the wider health service.