Q: Chandu, can you tell us about your role at Epro?
As CCIO, I work closely with our Executive Product Owner – also a clinician – and advise the wider company’s management team on relevant clinical processes, the product team on development strategies, and the sales team on packaging capabilities for new business within the NHS landscape.
Externally, my responsibilities include serving as a subject matter expert on the Epro technology platform, building relationships with clients, and, crucially, identifying potential barriers for clinicians and working to provide solutions through Epro’s platform and services. Beyond this, I also actively contribute to clinical safety discussions, attend conferences, collaborate with others in thought leadership, and incorporate industry trends into Epro’s roadmap.
Q: What would you say is the thing you enjoy most about your job?
Undoubtedly, the team is my favourite thing about Epro. They are by far the most compassionate, friendly and open-minded team I have worked with. We have a great range of experience, across all branches of healthcare, from management to operations. I also love the variety of the job; I often find myself doing something different every day. One day, I could be reviewing documentation or working on a strategy proposal. The next I could be liaising with a client and their team.
Q: Did you have any prior experience in healthcare before joining Epro?
Yes, in fact, when I’m not at Epro, I work as a doctor at my local trust. I graduated as a doctor in 2016, followed by two foundation years in the NHS, which took me to both the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. During this time, I worked across multiple specialities and gained invaluable experiences, ranging from care of the elderly to plastic surgery and neurology. I developed a great set of generalist skills. I ended up joining my local Trust in Barking in 2019, which is where I have worked ever since.
Q. What was it about Epro that made you want to get involved?
I first noticed Epro in 2019 by using one of their platform deployments when working at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. Straightaway, as a user, I realised that it is such a clinician-friendly piece of software to use, and I wanted to find out more. Having gone online, I found their website and, by chance, they were advertising for a CCIO. So, I got in touch, and the rest is history!
Q: That’s great! Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?
I love all things sport! I play a lot of cricket in the summer and am the proud wicket-keeper/batsman for a friendly village club in Sussex called Selmeston & Alciston CC, which keeps me very busy on my Saturdays over the summer. In the winter, I like playing basketball too.
Outside of sports, I’m very family-oriented and love spending time with my parents. I also have a little brother currently going through med school, so I’ve had a lot of fun looking over his shoulder and seeing what he’s up to. I also have a passion for reading, mainly around science and technology. These subjects fascinate me and are a great way for me to unwind after work.
Q: Finally, what is one thing you would like readers to know about yourself or Epro that they might not know already?
On a personal note, I’m always willing to learn and never feel that I have completed my process of development in any one field. I think that is an essential mindset to have as a clinician but also as someone who works in technology, which by definition is constantly evolving. Hence, I am always open to a chat and broaden my understanding of any field.
Regarding Epro, I’d like the readers to understand that we have such a dynamic team, and take great pride in being so agile in the way that we get things done. For instance, we are always on hand to support our customers and turn around support tickets when we are needed. Because we are a smaller team, we can discuss new ideas freely and implement things much faster than larger teams. We also take great pride in the products and service we provide.