Welcome to #OurEntrepreneurs, a series where we meet our innovators and uncover what inspired them to create change. Today, we’re delighted to introduce Osman Najam, joining us from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.

Tell us a bit about yourself 

I’m Dr Osman Najam, a Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust with a PhD in cardiovascular science from the UCL Hatter Cardiovascular Institute. Alongside my clinical work, I have a strong interest in healthcare innovation, digital transformation and the responsible integration of AI into NHS care pathways.

I’m currently co-developing AI-enabled tools focused on improving cardiology triage, risk stratification and patient flow within cardiology services. My motivation for joining the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme is to help bridge the gap between frontline clinical challenges and scalable, evidence-based innovation that can improve patient outcomes, reduce pressure on NHS services and support more equitable access to care.

I’m passionate about ensuring technology enhances rather than replaces clinical decision-making, and I’m excited to collaborate with others who are committed to shaping the future of healthcare.

Tell us about your innovation  

My innovation, Stopford Healthcare, focuses on developing an AI enabled chest pain triage and decision support platform designed to support earlier, safer and more efficient assessment of patients presenting with possible cardiac symptoms.

The platform combines structured symptom assessment, ECG interpretation, clinical risk stratification and guideline based recommendations to help clinicians identify high-risk patients more effectively, while also reducing unnecessary referrals and investigations. The aim is not to replace clinicians, but to support decision making, improve consistency and streamline patient pathways within the NHS.

A major focus of the project is ensuring that the technology is clinically safe, evidence-based and designed around real NHS workflows. We are also exploring how AI can be developed responsibly, with attention to transparency, bias mitigation and regulatory standards.

Ultimately, I hope this innovation contributes to a future where digital tools help clinicians spend more time focusing on patient care, while improving efficiency and outcomes across the healthcare system.

What is the problem or challenge you are addressing in the NHS and why is it important?

Chest pain is one of the most common reasons patients seek NHS care, whether through GP appointments, NHS 111, emergency departments or rapid access chest pain clinics. Yet current pathways are under significant pressure, with rising referral numbers, workforce shortages and variation in how patients are assessed and prioritised.

As a result, some patients experience delays in diagnosis, unnecessary investigations, or inconsistent risk assessment depending on where they are seen. At the same time, frontline services are managing large numbers of low-risk patients, which can divert resources away from those who need urgent attention most.

Our innovation aims to address this challenge by developing an AI-enabled triage and decision-support platform that supports clinicians in assessing chest pain more efficiently and consistently. By combining structured history-taking, ECG interpretation and guideline-based risk stratification, we hope to improve early identification of higher-risk patients while reducing unnecessary referrals and testing.

This is important not only for patient outcomes and experience, but also for NHS sustainability. Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death in the UK, and improving early assessment and management has the potential to reduce pressure across the entire system.

A key priority for us is ensuring that any technology developed is safe, evidence‑based and designed around real NHS workflows, with a strong focus on equity, transparency and responsible AI development.

Why did you join the programme and how do you hope it will support you?

I first became aware of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme through colleagues working in healthcare innovation and digital health. As I explored it further, it became clear that it offered a unique opportunity to connect clinicians, innovators and industry partners who are all focused on improving patient care within the NHS.

I applied because, through my work as a cardiologist, I see first-hand the operational and clinical pressures facing frontline services: rising demand, workforce strain and variation in access to care. I wanted to better understand how innovation can be developed, implemented and scaled responsibly within NHS systems, while remaining clinically meaningful and evidence‑based.

I’m particularly interested in the intersection between AI, digital health and real‑world clinical practice, and I saw the programme as an opportunity to learn from experienced entrepreneurs, collaborate with like‑minded clinicians and gain insight into the practical realities of building and evaluating healthcare innovations.

I’m most looking forward to being part of a community of people who are genuinely passionate about improving healthcare, sharing ideas across specialties and learning how to translate innovation into solutions that deliver real benefit for patients and NHS services. I hope the programme will support me through mentorship, guidance and exposure to people who have navigated the journey from clinical idea to scalable solution. Bridging that gap is one of the biggest challenges in healthcare innovation.

I’m also keen to deepen my understanding of product development, regulation, evidence generation, funding and NHS adoption pathways. As someone developing AI‑enabled healthcare solutions, it’s essential to understand not only the technology, but also the governance, safety and implementation considerations that come with it.

Ultimately, I hope the programme will help me build meaningful collaborations with clinicians, academics, industry partners and fellow entrepreneurs who share a commitment to improving patient care. My goal is to develop innovations that are clinically useful, evidence‑based and capable of delivering real impact for patients and the NHS.

What are your ambitions for the next year?

Over the next year, my ambition is to further develop and validate our AI‑enabled chest pain triage platform, while building the clinical, academic and technical partnerships needed to support safe implementation within the NHS. A key focus will be strengthening the evidence base, developing a robust proof of concept and exploring opportunities for pilot deployment and external funding.

Alongside this, I hope to deepen my understanding of healthcare innovation, regulation and digital transformation through the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, learning from experienced mentors and collaborators across the NHS and industry.

Clinically, I remain committed to delivering high‑quality patient care as a consultant cardiologist, and I’m passionate about ensuring that any innovation we develop remains grounded in real‑world NHS needs and improves outcomes for both patients and clinicians.

More broadly, I want to contribute to shaping how AI and digital tools can be integrated responsibly into healthcare, supporting clinicians, improving efficiency and helping create more equitable access to care.

Why do you think innovation is healthcare is important?

Innovation is essential in healthcare because patient needs, disease patterns and system pressures are constantly evolving. With the NHS facing rising demand, workforce challenges and financial constraints, innovation offers a way to improve how care is delivered while maintaining quality and safety.

For me, innovation is not simply about introducing new technology, it’s about solving real clinical problems in a meaningful and evidence-based way. Whether through digital tools, AI, new care pathways or medical technologies, innovation has the potential to improve patient outcomes, reduce variation in care, support earlier diagnosis and help clinicians work more efficiently.

As a cardiologist, I see first-hand how even small improvements in pathways or decision-making can have a major impact on patient experience and system capacity. I also believe innovation is important in helping make healthcare more equitable, ensuring that high-quality care and expertise can be delivered more consistently across different populations and settings.

At the same time, innovation in healthcare must be responsible, clinically grounded and rigorously evaluated. The most successful innovations are those developed collaboratively with patients, clinicians and healthcare systems, with a clear focus on improving real-world care rather than simply introducing technology for its own sake.

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