Why healthtech works best when shaped by clinicians

by Dr Andrew Whiteley, founder and Managing Director of Lexacom

During Howbeck Healthcare’s GP Portfolio Careers sessions, I was asked about my journey from practising GP to founding Lexacom, and how healthcare technology has evolved over the past 25 years since then. It was interesting because although technology has changed enormously over that time, many of the underlying challenges in healthcare remain remarkably familiar.

When I founded Lexacom back in 1999 I was not trying to launch a technology company in the traditional sense, I was trying to solve practical problems affecting my work, and that of other clinicians in my practice in Warwickshire, while also improving the experience patients received.

Looking back, I think that grounding in clinical practice shaped the direction of Lexacom more than anything else. Working directly within healthcare gives you a very different understanding of where pressures build, how workflows operate, and what clinicians need from technology when under pressure.

Watch the full GP Portfolio Careers session with Howbeck Healthcare, where we discuss healthcare innovation, portfolio careers, and the evolving role of technology in general practice.

Solving real problems

One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that innovation only matters if it genuinely improves day-to-day clinical work. Healthcare professionals work in incredibly demanding environments. Time is limited, systems are often fragmented, and administrative pressures continue to increase.

I believe the best healthcare technology starts with people who have experienced these pressures. Clinicians understand the practical realities of healthcare in a way that is difficult to replicate from outside the profession. They understand where delays really happen, how communication can break down, and how small inefficiencies can quickly add up to significant pressures across a working day.

Many of the developments we have introduced at Lexacom over the years, from workflow management and speech recognition to ambient AI and intelligent automation, have come from observing real problems within healthcare environments, and designing practical solutions.

Why portfolio careers are important

One of the most positive aspects of the webinar discussion was hearing how many opportunities now exist for GPs interested in broader roles across healthcare. Portfolio careers are valuable not only for professional variety and development, but because healthcare benefits when clinicians contribute beyond traditional clinical settings.

Tech is a good example of this. Healthcare systems, digital platforms, and AI tools all need clinical insight to work effectively in practice. Without that understanding, there is a risk of building systems that fail to reflect the realities of frontline healthcare.

Clinicians who move into digital health, leadership, education, and innovation roles bring something extremely valuable: the ability to bridge the gap between technical development and patient care. They understand both the operational and human side of healthcare, essential when designing systems to support clinicians and patients.

Importantly, most portfolio GPs remain closely connected to clinical practice. In many ways, that ongoing connection is what allows their wider work to remain relevant, grounded, and genuinely useful.

Trust, experience, and the future of healthtech

Healthcare technology is moving incredibly quickly, particularly around AI, automation, and workflows. These developments bring huge opportunities to reduce administrative burdens and improve efficiencies across healthcare, but they also bring important responsibilities around trust, safety, and patient confidence.

Clinicians need systems they can rely on consistently, and patients need reassurance that their information and care are being handled responsibly. Technology should support healthcare naturally and safely, rather than forcing clinicians to adapt around it.

That principle continues to shape the direction of Lexacom. While the technology itself continues to evolve, our underlying aims remain the same as they were when I founded the company in 1999: helping clinicians spend less time on admin, supporting the patient journey, and building tools that solve real problems.

You can watch the full GP Portfolio Careers session with Howbeck Healthcare below, where we discuss healthcare innovation, portfolio careers, and the evolving role of technology in general practice.

Read more about Lexacom’s long-standing reputation for software innovation.