Up, Up and Away - the digital health podcast

Hosted by Dom Burch and Saira Arif

Technology Health Fitness Education

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-GB

About the show

On Up, Up and Away we speak to thought-leaders and opinion formers in the world of digital health, be that clinicians, patients, young people or other tech innovators. We find out what things are making a real difference. Our talented team specialise in creating digitally enabled self-management programmes to the NHS for young people. We've spent the past eight years or so developing the Digital Health Passport - an evidence-based mobile app, which improves skills, knowledge and confidence to manage long-term conditions like asthma, epilepsy and sickle cell disease.

Listen to episodes

24 recent

October 10, 2026Episode 427 min

You said, we did: co-designing digital wellbeing support with YoungMinds

Send us Fan Mail How do you make sure a digital health app reflects what young people actually need? In this episode of Up, Up and Away , Dom Burch meets Dawite Mosisa from YoungMinds to explore how young people have helped shape a new mental wellbeing feature for the Digital Health Passport . Tiny Medical Apps has worked alongside YoungMinds, People&Co., young people, parents and carers to develop a prototype for young people aged 13–25 living with long-term health conditions. Through listening sessions, design feedback and testing, participants have helped the team understand what would make digital support useful, safe and trustworthy. Dawite shares his journey from supporting young people leaving psychiatric wards and the criminal justice system to leading YoungMinds’ youth advisory group. He explains the care that goes into meaningful participation, why young people should be paid for their contributions, and the importance of returning to show them how their feedback has influenced the work. It’s a warm, thoughtful conversation about recognising potential, building trust and giving young people a meaningful role in shaping their own support. In this episode: 01:25 — Dawite’s journey: Nine years working in mental health and his move to YoungMinds. 02:42 — Creating opportunities, seeing potential: How practical responsibilities can help young people build confidence and skills. 06:52 — Bridging young people and colleagues: Supporting youth advisers to contribute across the charity. 10:06 — The Digital Health Passport project: Bringing mental wellbeing into support for young people with long-term conditions. 11:05 — Listening, designing and testing: How young people helped shape the proposed feature. 13:00 — “You said, we did”: Why payment and a visible feedback loop matter. 18:54 — Behind the scenes of participation: Recruitment, regular support and creating opportunities for marginalised young people. 22:50 — Hopes for the app: A trusted resource young people can return to for guidance and reassurance. 24:42 — What comes next: More opportunities for youth advisers to influence YoungMinds and support community organisations. 25:49 — Why lived experience matters: Giving young people space to contribute, challenge and refine ideas. A thought to take away “It was literally all about listening.” — Dawite Mosisa Meaningful co-design means listening carefully, acting on what you hear and coming back to check you’ve understood. About YoungMinds YoungMinds is a charity working towards a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health. It supports young people, equips the adults around them and helps young people make their voices heard. Find out more at youngminds.org.uk . Up, Up and Away is the podcast from Tiny Medical Apps, exploring the people, ideas and partnerships shaping the Digital Health Passport.

September 22, 2026Episode 327 min

DHP Pro: One app for every young person and every condition

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Up, Up & Away , Dom Burch talks to his brother, Dr Greg Burch, Joint CEO and Clinical Director of Tiny Medical Apps, about the development of DHP Pro. Launching in January 2027, DHP Pro builds on almost a decade of work developing the Digital Health Passport. What began as a way to help young people manage asthma has grown into a multi-condition platform supporting physical health, mental wellbeing and the transition towards managing health independently. Greg explains why young people need more than symptom trackers and care plans. Their health is connected to sleep, emotional wellbeing, family circumstances, exercise and everyday life. DHP Pro brings these elements together in one place, alongside trusted information, medication reminders and connections to NHS services. They also discuss the new About Me feature. Designed particularly with young people with learning disabilities, autism, complex needs or a history of trauma in mind, it allows someone to record how they communicate, what may make them anxious, the adjustments they need and the practical things healthcare professionals should understand about them. It gives clinicians a useful summary without requiring the young person or their family to repeat the same information at every encounter. Transition is another major focus. Greg explains why the move from paediatric to adult care remains one of the riskiest points in the system, and how young people can gradually learn to understand their condition, manage medication, make appointments and take greater responsibility for their care. The conversation also explores how the work with YoungMinds has shaped DHP Pro’s approach to mental wellbeing, why health tracking must always have a clear purpose, and how trusted resources from the NHS and specialist charities can be surfaced at the moment they are most useful. Greg describes the thinking behind creating one configurable platform for many conditions. This could give young people with rare diseases access to the same quality of digital support as those with more common conditions, without requiring a separate app to be built for every diagnosis. It could also allow a parent to manage different conditions across several family members from one place. Finally, Dom and Greg discuss the difference between making an app free and ensuring it reaches the people who need it. The existing Digital Health Passport will remain free for asthma, epilepsy and mental wellbeing. DHP Pro will offer commissioned areas additional features, NHS integrations and support to embed the platform within local services. In this episode Why the Digital Health Passport is evolving into DHP Pro Supporting the whole person, rather than a single condition Replacing lengthy paper health passports with an accessible About Me summary Helping young people prepare gradually for adult healthcare What Tiny Medical Apps has learned from its work with YoungMinds The benefits and potential risks of tracking health and wellbeing Bringing NHS and charity resources together in one place Providing better digital support for rare conditions Family profiles and shared contributions to health records Why active implementation matters as much as making an app available How community trusts, acute services and neighbourhood teams could use DHP Pro DHP Pro launches in January 2027. Commissioners and clinical teams interested in seeing the platform can request a demonstration and explore the package most relevant to their local population. Find out more at tinymedicalapps.com .

April 9, 2026Episode 227 min

What does digital inclusion really mean in a world rushing towards AI, automation and digital-first services?

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Up, Up and Away , Dom Burch and Saira Arif sit down with Emma Weston, founder of Digital Unite, to explore one of the most important—and often overlooked—questions in digital health and public services: Who are we leaving behind? As Digital Unite marks its 30-year anniversary, Emma reflects on why digital exclusion remains such a persistent challenge. The conversation explores how decades of well-intentioned effort have failed to shift the dial—largely because we’ve been trying to solve a systemic problem with short-term, project-based thinking. Emma makes a compelling case for reframing digital inclusion—not as a side initiative, but as a core organisational responsibility. In a world where digital is now the front door to healthcare, services and opportunity, inclusion must be treated as a long-term investment in people, access and outcomes. The episode also examines the growing impact of AI. While full of promise, it risks widening existing inequalities if we haven’t yet addressed the fundamentals—digital confidence, literacy and access. From people without email addresses to care leavers navigating a digital-first world, this conversation brings big ideas back to real human experiences. Crucially, it’s not all doom and gloom. Emma shares what is working—from Digital Champions to community-led support—and leaves listeners with a practical challenge: Where are we still treating digital inclusion as a bolt-on—and what would it look like to make it part of how we operate every day? 🔑 Key Themes Digital exclusion isn’t going away Despite 30 years of effort, the problem persists—and in many cases is getting worse. We’re solving the wrong problem the wrong way Short-term projects can’t fix a long-term, structural issue. Digital literacy is now a basic life skill As essential as reading, writing and arithmetic in modern society. AI could widen the gap We’re accelerating into the future without fixing the foundations. Access doesn’t equal inclusion Devices and connectivity aren’t enough—confidence, skills and usability matter. The power of Digital Champions Peer-to-peer support and community networks are key to scaling impact. From funding to investment Digital inclusion should be embedded into how organisations operate—not treated as a nice-to-have. Start with conversation, not perfection Small, practical steps—especially across teams—can begin to drive real change. Find out more Emma Weston and Digital Unite.

February 18, 2026Episode 127 min

Dr Lewis Thomas — Sickle Cell, Burnout, Coaching, and Building The Sickleverse

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, host Dom Burch speaks with Dr Lewis Thomas , a former NHS GP and accredited life coach who lives with sickle cell anaemia. Lewis shares how lived experience, medical training, and coaching came together — and why social media may now be one of the most powerful tools for reaching patients the healthcare system struggles to reach. 🔥 Key Topics Covered 🩸 1) Living with sickle cell — and the fear that comes with misunderstanding Lewis describes his first major sickle cell crisis at age 12 as “the worst pain imaginable” — but also explains how confusion and lack of understanding from others created fear and uncertainty. 🏥 2) Becoming a doctor — and ending up admitted to the hospitals he worked in Lewis explains how junior doctor stress made his symptoms worse, leading to hospital admissions inside the very system he was training in. 🧱 3) The NHS reality: broken systems, limited time, limited resources He shares how the system’s lack of capacity makes it difficult for clinicians to truly help — especially when conditions like sickle cell don’t fit “tick-box” patterns. 🌊 4) Post-Covid general practice: “a tsunami” of angry, exhausted patients Lewis describes how the emotional weight of post-Covid demand wore him down over time, as patients returned with unmet needs, delayed care, and mounting frustration. 🧠 5) The turning point: discovering Flow on holiday in Greece While on holiday, Lewis read Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi — and realised there were people who loved their work and lived in a state of purpose… and that he didn’t feel that as a GP. 💬 6) Life coaching: “holding space” and helping people change their lives Lewis shares how coaching gave him a new model of care — one based on listening, clarity, and helping people find their own answers, not just prescribing. 📱 7) Why TikTok reached people a GP surgery never could Lewis explains how social media enabled him to reach people with sickle cell who might never seek help through traditional routes — delivering bite-sized, trusted education directly to their phones. 🌍 8) The Sickleverse: building community, confidence, and agency The Sickleverse brings people together globally, giving access to education, peer support, and a space that reduces the isolation many people feel living with sickle cell. 🤝 9) Trust, racism, and why partnership matters Lewis speaks openly about mistrust in medical systems — particularly in Black communities disproportionately affected by sickle cell — and why working with credible voices and influencers can help overcome barriers. 🩺 10) Authenticity over authority One of the most memorable insights: Lewis doesn’t need to wear a suit or a stethoscope to help people — he can show up as himself, and that’s exactly why people listen. 🔗 Links & Resources Join The Sickleverse: www.sickleverse.com Book mentioned: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

February 9, 2026Episode 2033 min

Terri Quigley: Lived experience, severe asthma, and why digital tools can save lives

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Up Up and Away , Dom Burch is joined by Terri Quigley — a Project Manager at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside , an award-winning Participation & Engagement Coordinator, and a passionate advocate for respiratory health and lived-experience-led change. Terri brings a uniquely powerful perspective. She works inside the system, helping shape services for children and young people — but she’s also a parent, and she and her teenage son Ethan both live with severe asthma . That combination of professional insight and lived experience makes this a conversation that’s as practical as it is emotional. Terri shares why the Digital Health Passport has been a genuine “game-changer” for their family — not just in improving asthma control, but in helping Ethan build confidence, reduce anxiety, and take ownership of his condition as he becomes more independent. One of the standout moments is Terri’s story of Ethan going on his Duke of Edinburgh expedition , managing asthma, allergies and a complex routine of medications — including inhalers and biologic injections — and how the app helped make that possible in a way that felt safe for both of them. The conversation also explores the bigger system challenge: what meaningful participation really looks like, why “sending out a survey” isn’t enough, and why lived experience needs to be present in the board-level meetings where decisions are made. Terri describes the moment that spurred her into action — seeing a meme of a board meeting about young women’s health made up almost entirely of older white men — and how that pushed her to help create a clearer framework for involvement, including simple “crib sheets” that make participation less intimidating and more effective. Terri also speaks candidly about asthma anxiety, why many children avoid PE and physical activity, and how fear can sometimes be unintentionally passed down from parents who simply don’t feel confident about what to do when symptoms flare. And towards the end, Terri leaves listeners with a message that’s hard to ignore: asthma deaths are overwhelmingly preventable — yet families are still being let down. Her call is simple and urgent: if we empower patients and carers with better understanding, better tools, and better support, we can prevent avoidable A&E visits — and save lives. Terri also highlights the campaign “Too much blue, get a review” — a simple but vital reminder that if you’re using your blue reliever inhaler more than three times a week when you’re well, it’s time to speak to a healthcare professional. Links & resources Too much blue, get a review — if you’re using your blue reliever inhaler more than three times a week when you’re well, it’s time to speak to a healthcare professional. Learn more about the Digital Health Passport from Tiny Medical Apps.

January 24, 2026Episode 1928 min

From the Clinic to the System: Asthma & Lung UK's Naomi Watt on Designing for Engagement

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Up, Up & Away , host Dom Burch is joined by Naomi Watt , from Asthma + Lung UK , for a wide-ranging conversation about behaviour, motivation, and what it really takes to design digital health tools that people actually use. Naomi reflects on her early career as a respiratory nurse — from reading X-rays on lightboxes to working in A&E, general practice and helplines — and how her passion for learning helped her absorb knowledge almost by osmosis. But she also shares a pivotal realisation: just because she cared deeply about respiratory health didn’t mean everyone else did, or could, in the same way. That insight became central to her later work. Post-COVID, Asthma + Lung UK recognised that healthcare professionals themselves were a missing link in improving care for people with lung conditions. Clinicians were coming from a huge range of backgrounds — GPs, paramedics, pharmacists, practice nurses — with very different levels of confidence, knowledge and support, often working in isolation within a stretched NHS. This led Naomi to design the Health Professionals Hub : a dedicated digital portal built not around information overload, but around how people feel when they go looking for help. Drawing on self-determination theory, she explains how autonomy, competence and relatedness underpin engagement — particularly when healthcare professionals are dealing with imposter syndrome or uncertainty. Naomi introduces the memorable idea of three “knowledge moments” — the “oh no” , “oh” and “ah” moments — and how designing for psychological safety, accessibility and plain English can turn panic into curiosity. She shares practical examples of how small, thoughtful tools can lead to meaningful changes in clinical practice and patient outcomes. The conversation then widens to young people with long-term conditions, exploring why digital health tools must reflect real life rather than neat clinical silos — and why collaboration matters more than duplication. Naomi makes a powerful case for charities, the NHS and technology partners working together, sharing trusted expertise so it can travel further and reach people in the moments that matter. This episode is not about an app. It’s about empathy, behaviour, and what it means to design healthcare systems that help people feel capable, connected and supported. Topics covered Naomi’s journey from frontline clinician to system-level designer Why healthcare professionals were the “missing link” post-COVID Designing for motivation, not just information Self-determination theory: autonomy, competence and belonging Psychological safety and tackling imposter syndrome Why collaboration beats duplication in digital health Supporting young people with long-term conditions in the real world

January 14, 2026Episode 1827 min

Tackling Inequalities in Children’s Asthma — Learning from Brent Health Matters

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Up, Up and Away , Dom Burch speaks with Bethan Almeida, a senior nurse in Brent Health Matters, about childhood asthma, health inequalities, and what effective, community-led healthcare looks like in practice. Bethan leads the children’s asthma workstream in one of the UK’s most diverse boroughs, where 149 languages are spoken and many families face barriers around health literacy, income, housing, and access to care. Her role bridges clinical care, public health, and system improvement, with a focus on preventing avoidable asthma harm. Bethan explains how traditional healthcare pathways often disadvantage families who lack time, money, or confidence to navigate complex systems. Too many children reach specialist care far later than necessary, when much of the harm could have been prevented earlier in the community. A key insight is that clinicians are not always the most trusted messengers . Families may say everything is fine in appointments, but share the reality with people they already trust — sports coaches, faith leaders, or community organisers. These individuals often have regular contact with families and the time to spot issues early and offer practical support. Brent’s progress has been enabled by genuine NHS–council collaboration , using existing public health networks rather than building relationships from scratch. This has helped shift care from reactive to proactive — bringing services to families rather than waiting for crises. One of the most powerful themes is what Bethan calls “compassionate discrimination” . Well-meaning professionals sometimes withhold full advice — for example about reducing dust mites or improving ventilation — because they assume families can’t afford to act on it. While compassionate, this lowers the bar of information and deepens inequality. Bethan argues that everyone deserves the same information, with extra support provided to help those who need it act on that advice. The team also moved away from standard leaflets after communities said they were inaccessible. Instead, they co-designed simple, visual, multimedia resources that people actually use. A standout innovation is the Asthma Community Coaches programme — trained local volunteers who support families, challenge myths, make referrals into clinical pathways, and feed real-world insight back into the system. To date, 58 volunteers have completed the programme. As a result of this work, Brent now has local asthma diagnosis, high-risk clinics, and sustainable pathways that will continue beyond individual staff members. The episode reinforces a simple but powerful message: people don’t need less information — they need better translation, better support, and genuine partnership.

December 16, 2025Episode 1733 min

Why NHS login Changes Everything for Digital Self-Management - With Matt Bourne TMA's CTO

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Up, Up and Away , Dom talks to Matt Bourne , CTO at Tiny Medical Apps , about the company’s remarkable eight-year journey to integrating NHS login into the Digital Health Passport (DHP) — a major milestone in connecting young people with long-term conditions directly to the NHS. What sounds like a technical integration is, in reality, the culmination of years of persistence, setbacks, and breakthroughs. Matt shares how TMA began as a small team building multiple patient-facing apps, before realising that regulatory complexity made that model unsustainable — and why creating one trusted, NHS-connected platform became the way forward. From the early days of hackathons to navigating reorganisations, changing sponsors, and evolving NHS standards, this is a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to deliver digital innovation within the health system. 💡 In this episode, Matt shares: How Tiny Medical Apps became one of the first SMEs to be offered NHS login access — and what being an early adopter really meant. Why medication adherence became the company’s north star after coroner reports revealed most asthma deaths in young people were preventable. How NHS login transforms the DHP , allowing patients to securely access care plans, reorder medication, and build trusted connections with their GP records. What the integration process actually involves — from hazard logs and sandbox testing to balancing safety with accessibility for teenage users. How behaviour change theory (COM-B) underpins the app’s design, combining nudges, reminders, and gamified learning to improve long-term health outcomes. Why TMA partners with charities like Asthma + Lung UK and Epilepsy charities to deliver clinically accurate content at scale, instead of building it themselves. How TikTok and social platforms have helped them reach and engage young people who are often considered “hard to reach” by traditional health services. 🧠 Key Takeaway “NHS login isn’t just a piece of tech. It’s a key that finally lets patients access — and use — their own health data safely and meaningfully. It’s what allows us to move from information to empowerment.” — Matt Bourne, CTO, Tiny Medical Apps 🚀 Why This Matters This episode is a powerful reminder that health innovation takes time, collaboration, and resilience. TMA’s journey shows how small companies can play a big role in transforming patient care — proving that persistence and open standards can open doors that once felt closed. For young people managing asthma, epilepsy, sickle cell, or other long-term conditions, NHS login is more than a sign-in screen. It’s a step toward independence, better medication adherence, and fewer preventable emergencies.

December 9, 2025Episode 1632 min

Theta Sleep - Tackling Sleep Apnoea with Digital, End-to-End Care

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Up, Up & Away , host Dom Burch sits down with Dr Tom Chambers and Dr David Dawson to explore one of the NHS’s most overlooked health challenges: obstructive sleep apnoea. More than 9 million adults in the UK remain undiagnosed , making sleep apnoea one of the biggest untreated conditions affecting public health. Untreated sleep disorders significantly increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression and road traffic accidents—yet referral pathways, diagnostic capacity and waiting times remain major barriers across the country. Tom and David explain why traditional, hospital-led models simply can’t cope with the rising demand (referrals for sleep studies have gone up by 102%) and how their innovation, Theta Sleep , is aiming to transform diagnosis and treatment by delivering a fully digital, end-to-end pathway that patients can access from home. 👇 In this episode: Why sleep apnoea is so widely under-diagnosed The story behind Bradford’s first sleep clinic What inspired Tom and David to co-found Theta Sleep Why every stage of the current pathway is a bottleneck The role of new NICE-approved home sleep diagnostics How digital tools reduce unnecessary appointments Why patients don’t always need to see a consultant The preventative health opportunity in sleep medicine What needs to change in the NHS to scale care Why sleep is now recognised as the fourth pillar of health 💡 Key Quotes “Referrals for sleep studies have gone up by 102%. It’s now the fastest-growing diagnostic test in the NHS.” — Dr Tom Chambers “We now have around 7,500 people on treatment with a waiting time of just three weeks — compared to more than a year elsewhere.” — Dr David Dawson “Patients don’t always need a consultant seeing them. With oversight and digital tools, other clinicians can safely do much of the work.” — Dr David Dawson 🌙 Why this matters Sleep disorders dramatically increase long-term morbidity and mortality, yet public conversations focus mostly on “sleep hygiene tips” like screen time and 8-hour sleep targets. As Tom explains, the bigger problem is the millions of people living with undiagnosed clinical sleep disorders that require proper diagnosis and treatment. Digital-first, community-based care could change that—and improve population health at scale. 🎧 Listen if you’re interested in: NHS innovation digital health and remote care preventative healthcare respiratory medicine chronic condition management medical entrepreneurship clinical pathways and redesign health tech startup stories

August 1, 2025Episode 1526 min

Game Changer: How a London-based PE Teacher Wants Every Student with Asthma to be Seen

Send us Fan Mail In the latest episode of the Up, Up and Away podcast hosts Dom and Saira caught up with Hamdoun , a 19-year-old assistant PE teacher from South London and new ambassador for Tiny Medical Apps' Digital Health Passport. Hamdoun is currently working in a primary school near Wembley Stadium, is passionate about supporting young people, especially those with asthma and long-term conditions. Background & Role Initially wanted to be a footballer; discovered a love for sports coaching during sixth form. Works with children aged 4–11 and engages with every student throughout the week. Sees physical activity as essential for health and personal development. Asthma & Young People Many pupils in his school live with asthma, but older children often shy away from discussing it. Some feel ashamed or fear being mocked, leading to reluctance in using inhalers or disclosing their condition. Emphasises normalising asthma through open conversations and preparedness. Practical Action & Support Proactively checks asthma status before school trips and matches. Shares a powerful story about noticing a child struggling during a football match due to asthma—his support and quick action made a real difference. Discovered an expired inhaler and followed up directly with the parent to stress the importance of medication checks. Digital Health Passport Excited to become a Digital Health Passport ambassador to further support young people. Believes in empowering children to speak up and take ownership of their condition. Sees technology as a valuable tool to remind parents and pupils about medication and expiry dates. Advice to Young People Don’t be ashamed—you're not alone. Share symptoms and personal preferences with trusted adults like PE teachers. Participation in sport can boost both physical and mental health—even for those with asthma. Suggestions for Schools More frequent reminders to parents about checking medication expiry dates. Foster environments where students feel safe discussing their health. Hamdoun brings empathy, leadership, and lived experience to his role. He’s a role model helping children play hard and breathe easy, showing that supporting young people with asthma isn’t about over complication—it’s about caring, preparing, and listening.

Is this your show?

Claim this listing to keep it up to date, reach guests who want to pitch you, and manage bookings with Guestify.

Claim this listing

More Technology podcasts

The Bob Bloom Digest

Technology

Refactored

Chris Tonkinson, Frank Koehl

TechnologyInterviews guests

Convergence

Luke Martin

TechnologyInvestingInterviews guests