Our Entrepreneurs: Ana Talbot
Welcome to #OurEntrepreneurs, a series where we meet our innovators and uncover what inspired them to create change. Today, we’re delighted to introduce Ana Talbot, joining us from NHS Lanarkshire.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am a Consultant in Older Adult Medicine based in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, with experience across health and care sectors in developing innovative approaches to improving outcomes for older people. I was recently appointed as one of Scotland’s first Innovation Fellows and have led the development of a proactive, technology-enabled approach to identifying and managing falls and frailty.
Name: Ana Talbot, NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Cohort 10
Occupation: Consultant Older Adult Medicine
Supported by funding from The Health Foundation’s Tech for Better Care programme, I have worked with both lived and professional experience to co-develop a digitally enabled Age Well Check.
Tell us about your innovation
Age Well Check is a digital, evidence‑based tool designed to identify frailty in older adults before crisis occurs. It provides a scalable solution that combines self‑assessment with seamless integration into NHS pathways, supporting both independent use and clinician‑led delivery.
Our aim is to shift care from reactive to proactive, enabling earlier identification and intervention while reducing pressure across the system. Ultimately, Age Well Check supports healthier ageing at population scale and strengthens the long‑term sustainability of health and care services.
What is the problem or challenge you are addressing in the NHS and why is it important?
Our population is ageing and living longer in poorer health. Those ageing less well are among the highest users of health and care services, with older people accounting for around 60% of hospital bed days. Early identification is essential to ensure care is attuned to their needs. Although the optimal professional‑led model for identification is used internationally across diverse settings, staff capacity and capability constraints, alongside challenges in involving the person who knows the individual best, make it difficult to deliver this as consistently or effectively as required. Specialist staff have the expertise, but they are not always available. Locally, Emergency Department e‑triage has already set a precedent for self‑assessment.
We believe a self‑assessed model supports timely, accurate and complete information while reducing demand on both the individual and those who support them. It also has the potential to be more empowering.
We recognise that not everyone will be able to do this. However, it ensures those that can, free up staff time to support those with greater need. Crucially, it also ensures the voice of those who know the individual best is captured.
This innovation addresses a high‑priority need and directly supports the three shifts in care.
Why did you join the programme and how do you hope it will support you?
I first heard about the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme through colleagues and innovation networks within NHS Lanarkshire, the West of Scotland Innovation Hub and InnoScot Health, where it is widely recognised as a supportive pathway for clinicians developing ideas alongside their clinical roles.
I applied because I am developing Age Well Check, a digital, preventative approach to identifying frailty and falls risk earlier. I wanted structured support to refine the model, test its impact, and navigate scale and adoption within the NHS.
I hope the programme will help me progress Age Well Check from a strong concept to a scalable, real‑world solution. Specifically, I’m looking for support with refining the value proposition, evaluating impact, and navigating adoption within complex NHS systems.
I would also value mentorship, access to networks, and guidance around implementation and scale, including how to align with system priorities and funding pathways. More broadly, I see the programme as an opportunity to build the skills and confidence needed to translate clinical insight into sustainable innovation.
What I am most looking forward to is the community: learning from other clinicians tackling similar challenges, and developing the skills, networks and confidence to turn an early‑stage idea into a scalable, system‑ready intervention.
What are your ambitions for the next year?
Over the next year, my ambition is to progress Age Well Check from concept to an evidence‑informed, implementation‑ready intervention with demonstrable impact. This includes developing and piloting the model in real‑world NHS settings, generating early outcome data, and refining a scalable approach that aligns with system priorities.
I aim to build strong multidisciplinary partnerships to support evaluation, adoption and long‑term sustainability, while demonstrating clear potential to reduce falls, improve population health outcomes, and deliver system‑wide value.
Alongside this, I want to further strengthen my leadership capability as a clinical innovator, building the skills and confidence needed to translate a high‑impact idea into a scalable, sustainable solution within the NHS.
Why do you think innovation in healthcare is important?
I believe innovation is essential in healthcare to address the growing gap between rising demand and the capacity of traditional models of care. With an ageing population and increasing prevalence of long‑term conditions, we cannot rely on reactive, hospital‑based approaches alone.
Innovation enables a shift towards prevention, earlier intervention and more personalised care, using digital tools, data and new delivery models to reach people at scale. It also supports better use of limited resources, improving outcomes while strengthening the sustainability of health and care systems.
As a clinician, I see innovation as a way to translate frontline insight into practical solutions that improve patient experience, reduce harm and deliver meaningful population‑level impact.
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