Richard Leonard currently serves as Chief Technology Officer at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. He has been instrumental in delivering the Trust’s ambitious digital transformation programme, most notably by leading the development of a cloud-first Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system. His leadership has earned national recognition being named a finalist for Digital Leader of the Year at the HSJ Digital Awards 2024 and receiving a Highly Commended distinction.

Richard brings deep expertise in digital strategy, technology and consulting, built over years delivering global transformation programmes for major organisations such as Sage, Euro Car Parts, and EPAM.

At Northumbria he spearheaded the development of an in-house EPR, with a focus on operational efficiency, clinical safety, agile delivery and user-centred design. He also established the Trust’s Robotic Process Automation (RPA) team, achieving rapid ROI and winning the Best RPA Global Newcomer award at the SS&C Blue Prism Customer Excellence Awards 2023.

Richard contributes to regional digital strategy as part of the Great North Care Record team, providing technical insight and strategic direction for their shared care record platform. He also serves as a Director at Health Call, a digital solutions provider to the NHS, where he supports the development of a Patient Engagement Platform integrated with the NHS App.