NHS business intelligence manager joins Highland Marketing

An NHS business transformation manager has become a key member of the industry advisor panel at Highland Marketing, a specialist healthcare communications agency.

Simon Rollason, who has held positions within the healthcare sector since 2009, is now working to address information governance challenges and opportunities for a consortium of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).

Currently the programme manager for invoice validation and data management services at NHS Midlands and East, Rollason has successfully transitioned a collaborative CCG procurement and business intelligence service to the new NHS operating landscape that came into being following the Health and Social Care Act in 2013.

He now supports the CCG consortium, their internal commissioning support unit (CSU) and an external third party service provider to define and deploy a new and robust information governance framework to comply with the detailed practical and operational implications still emerging from the implementation of the act.

Rollason joins a group of influential industry advisors at Highland Marketing, bringing with him a wealth of experience and understanding to the agency, which provides a full range of PR and marketing services to organisations working in healthcare.

Accepting the position, he said he looked forward to networking with Highland Marketing’s clients and contacts to help drive forward innovations and ideas to the frontline of healthcare.

“I am flattered and very pleased to be joining Highland Marketing as an advisor and hope to add value to what we are all engaged in: Trying to improve healthcare in the UK.

“Effective communication can help us to join-up health and social care, make it coherent and optimise resources.

“Without communication there will be no joining-up, and we will reinforce stovepipe mentalities and isolationist views. Without communication we will have disjointed and dysfunctional care.”

Highland Marketing chief executive officer Mark Venables said: “The appointment of Simon is testimony to the breadth and knowledge base within our team. Having Simon on board will provide us with additional industry intelligence so we are best placed to advise our clients on how to communicate their ideas and market their solutions to the health service, with the ultimate aim of helping healthcare professionals deliver the best possible care to patients.”

Rollason, started his professional life as a teacher before moving through the financial services and management consulting sectors and then making the transition into healthcare some five years ago.

He is a professional and adaptable business transformation programme manager with extensive experience managing the challenges and complexities inherent in business transformation and change programmes across large organisations.

He joins Jeremy Nettle, Ravi Kumar and Dr Kerry Mathewson on the advisor panel, who have decades of experience in areas ranging from delivering frontline care to deploying transformational technology to the NHS.