Meet #OurEntrepreneurs. Today we welcome Dr Rhiannon Johnson, a GP from Norfolk and Waveney.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am a GP and clinical entrepreneur, inspired by my dual roles as a healthcare professional and a parent to two neurodivergent children—my son with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and my daughter with ADHD. .
Name: Dr Rhiannon Johnson, NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Cohort 9
Occupation: GP
Tell us about your innovation
With increasing awareness of neurodiversity, a rapidly growing number of parents are seeking assessments for conditions like autism and ADHD. Yet waiting times are long averaging 19 months for autism and ranging from 5 weeks to 5 years for ADHD. Diagnosis, however, is only the beginning. Effective support requires daily, parent-led behaviour management, which can be overwhelming without guidance. Many parents feel isolated, burnt out, and unsupported. Alarmingly, neurodiverse children are twice as likely to experience abuse and neglect, highlighting a serious child health and safeguarding concern.
Inspired by my own struggle to access timely support and effective behaviour strategies for my children—and after supporting countless distressed parents during GP consultations—I combined clinical insight with lived experience to create AttuneAI. This AI-powered, voice-activated parent coach is designed to predict behavioural patterns and guide calming routines. It’s modelled on a real-life parent coach, Bev, who was instrumental in helping me navigate a deeply isolating time. Now in prototype phase, AttuneAI is gaining early traction among parent communities and has the potential to transform how families manage neurodiversity—offering a cost-effective, accessible tool available 24/7.
Why did you apply for the programme and how do you hope it will help you over the next year?
I first heard about the CEP through a podcast featuring one of its past mentors. After reaching out to her directly, she recommended the programme as an invaluable accelerator for NHS-focused innovation and encouraged me to apply. What drew me in was the opportunity to connect with like-minded innovators who are passionate about solving real challenges in healthcare for the benefit of patients.
Over the next year, I hope the programme will help me rapidly shape a clear innovation roadmap for AttuneAI. I’m excited to expand my entrepreneurial network and be immersed in a community of inspiring changemakers. I want to use lean canvas principles to co-design with parents and patients, ensuring the product truly meets their needs. Strengthening my understanding of key healthcare regulations and building accordingly will be essential to creating a safe, effective, and scalable solution.
What does healthcare innovation mean to you?
Technology and science are rapidly advancing, but without concurrent innovation in healthcare, we risk the NHS falling behind. Encouraging innovators in the NHS is so important as these are the people who really understand the challenges patients face