Interviewed by Mr Glass George Frederick Jr, Lead of CHI FLYING, Senior Nurse Researcher, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore
Dr Jonty Heaversedge is Clinical Director and Chief Clinical Informatics Officer in the Population Health Office at the National Healthcare Group (NHG), Director of the Health and Social Change Academy and Co-Director of the Healthcare Empowered by AI Launchpad (HEAL) at the Centre for Healthcare Innovation (CHI) in Singapore. A practising GP, author and broadcaster, he combines frontline primary care with system leadership in digital innovation and population health and is part of the CHI Leadership Council.
What motivated you to come into healthcare and the role you have now?
Becoming a GP was always about wanting to help people and be part of local communities, especially those most disadvantaged. I was drawn to the identity and trust that come with being a family doctor and never felt pulled towards narrow specialism. My early studies in Psychology and Mental Health encouraged me to think broadly about the drivers of illness and lived experiences.
My role later expanded into digital health and system leadership not because I am a natural technologist, but because it became clear we cannot meet population needs without better use of data, insight and technology. At system level, leadership is about understanding what drives ill health and using digital tools more intelligently, especially given workforce pressures.
What key leadership messages would you share with BMJ Leader readers?
Prioritise connection and collaboration to build the collective courage for change. Leadership can feel isolating, particularly in hierarchical systems, yet the problems we face are too complex for any one person or organisation. Every meaningful change I have seen required strengthening relationships across institutions and keeping patients and populations at the centre.
Connection means learning together, sharing challenges and co-creating solutions. It is these relationships that give us the confidence to take on difficult change.
How did the pandemic shape your leadership?
During COVID I was Chief Medical Officer for the Integrated Care System in south east London, serving 1.9 million people. We had to adapt rapidly across hospitals, general practice and pharmacies. One striking lesson was how quickly change happens when there is shared urgency. For years we had talked about redesigning general practice; during COVID we achieved major changes in a fortnight.
We could not maintain that pace indefinitely and we made mistakes, but it showed what is possible when people focus on the 90 per cent they agree on. The challenge now is how to retain that collaborative mindset without crisis conditions.
Which past experiences most inform your leadership now?
COVID taught me a lot about enabling leadership. The scale of the risk meant we were more willing to take thoughtful risks. We simplified governance and focused on supporting local teams to design and test new pathways. I often spoke of unity, not uniformity. System leadership is about uniting people around shared purpose while allowing local leaders the freedom to shape delivery.
What have been your biggest challenges and learnings?
I am proud of helping establish the System Leadership Academy in south east London, which brought leaders from health, social care and the voluntary sector together to learn and work on real improvement projects. It supported system-level skills and relationships.
But I also learned hard lessons. My first proposal for the Academy was not supported because I had not engaged widely enough or incorporated others’ perspectives. At times I have held too tightly to my own urgency for change, which can undermine shared ownership. That is something I continue to work on.
What has surprised you as a leader?
I am still surprised by how often logic is not enough. Earlier in my career I assumed that if you present a rational case, people will simply follow. I now understand much more deeply the importance of trust and relationships. Change happens at the speed of trust, yet systems often demand rapid progress. Holding the tension between urgency and the slower pace needed for sustainable change is one of the hardest parts of leadership.
What qualities do you look for in other leaders?
The X-factor for me is heart. I am inspired by people who bring energy and excitement, combined with compassion and kindness. The origin of the word courage is the French word for heart. Tools and techniques can be learned. What truly matters is compassion and the willingness to take risks for a cause you care about.
How do you maintain kindness and compassion?
A few years ago, I wrote “The Mindful Manifesto”, and I often recommend mindfulness and meditation to leaders. When I practise regularly, it helps me notice what is happening within and around me, reduce stress and see others more clearly. Mindfulness is not just personal stress management; it nurtures compassion and strengthens the relational leadership needed in complex systems.
Are there ideas or readings you find helpful?
I am currently reading Becky Margiotta’s Impact with Integrity, which is practical and very human. She shows that vulnerabilities do not disqualify us from leading; they can deepen our leadership and connection with others.
What actions are you pursuing now to drive change at system level?
A major focus is population health management: applying improvement thinking to whole populations rather than individual services. We need to understand our populations better, identify gaps in care, diagnosis and prevention, and translate that insight into how we design and deliver care.
Working with communities is essential. They help interpret data and turn it into grounded action. Much of my work now is about building relationships across organisations, understanding how each contributes to care and where collaboration could improve outcomes.
What is the CHI’s Health and Social Change Academy aiming to do?
Only a small proportion of health outcomes are determined by what happens in clinics. Social determinants, environment and behaviour play much larger roles. The Health and Social Change Academy builds the mindset and skills to think beyond traditional services. Working with colleagues like Professor Hahrie Han, we are developing approaches that support community-level change and strengthen the skills of community leaders.
What advice would you give to professionals thinking about getting involved?
Take the leap. This way of working is more rewarding and more authentic. Recognising that we all have our own health and social challenges helps us connect more deeply with the communities we serve and can re-energise parts of our work.
How do you see AI and the CHI’s Health Empowered by AI Launchpad (HEAL) initiative contributing to better care?
HEAL recognises that work is changing and we need to integrate new forms of intelligence into practice. AI carries risks, including depersonalisation, but it can also help us identify people at risk earlier, personalise care and reduce administrative burden.
We are exploring how to use AI safely and responsibly and how to support adoption across organisations. Staff should approach AI with curiosity. Experimenting with tools such as large language models reduces anxiety and sparks ideas for how technology might genuinely support care.
This blog is coordinated and contributed by the Centre for Healthcare Innovation, Singapore
Leading Across the Commonwealth and Beyond captures vital conversations between global health leaders and emerging voices. In this blog, we explore how to redefine how we lead with compassion, connectivity, and courage in an increasingly complex world.
Declaration of Interests
No conflicts of interest to disclose