How we are Delivering Digital Impact in Healthcare
A Conversation on Affinity’s NHS24 Partnership with our CEO, Jonathan Duval
In September 2025, Affinity was selected to partner with NHS24, improving how people access and experience healthcare services in Scotland. We chatted to our CEO, Jonathan Duval, to discuss what the project involves and how our team approaches working with Public Sector organisations.
Q: Can you tell us what the NHS24 project involves and what needs it is designed to meet?
At a high level, this work is about helping NHS 24 continue to evolve its digital services in line with changing needs of the population in Scotland, ultimately making sure their websites remain reliable, secure, and easy to use as demand and expectations shift over time.
As NHS 24 had a suite of six WordPress sites, including two that provide essential services nationally, the focus of the partnership was twofold. Firstly we had to assess and evaluate what they already had in their estate, and secondly develop a great working partnership, so that we’re proactively supporting and continually improving the suite of sites and environments.
Q: What was your initial reaction to securing this work?
When we first saw the ITT, we absolutely knew it was a really good fit for Affinity and we were genuinely excited by the opportunity.
We’ve got significant experience with WordPress, particularly over the last six years of working with central government and the Cabinet Office, where we’ve improved and supported over 20 WordPress-based services. Not only that, we also work with Education Scotland, an executive agency of Scottish Government, so we already had a bit of a presence there and we were actively looking to grow that and broaden our reach within Scotland.
Q: What factors helped Affinity stand out in winning the project?
We’ve worked with Education Scotland for quite some time now and there are definitely similarities between the NHS and education as institutions in the UK, particularly in terms of culture and how you work with senior stakeholders and interested parties. So, this may have helped a little, but mainly I believe it was down to two things: firstly our portfolio and being able to clearly demonstrate really relevant experience, secondly our open, honest and transparent communication, and the way we approach delivery. That includes our process methodologies, agile decision-making, and how we actually work with clients day-to-day.
We worked really hard to show them just how good a fit we felt this was, both from a technical and a delivery point of view. We backed that up with our strong track record, our case studies, and client testimonials. We’d essentially done everything they were asking for, and more, with similar organisations.
By the time we got towards the end of the process, there was some really good dialogue happening between both sides and when we did eventually secure the contract, there was a real sense that they were as pleased to appoint us as we were to have won it, which was absolutely lovely.
Q: How does Affinity typically approach partnerships with public sector organisations?
As an SME, there was definitely a learning curve for us in the early days, when it came to working with large public sector institutions. Things like protocols and processes, tone of voice, and expectations around security and oversight – all of which exist for good reason as these organisations are publicly accountable.
Our long-term relationship with the Cabinet Office has been instrumental in our continued success and growth in this sector, and it’s really shaped how we work in this space. We’ve been able to demonstrate how a small agile business can have a relationship with an organisation like this, where we can integrate much more closely and genuinely feel like an extension of their team.
Therefore, our approach with NHS 24 was grounded in the understanding of these operational complexities. Which means being respectful of their governance and assurance processes.
And then it really comes back to communication and our open, honest and transparent culture. We work hard to create an environment where all sides can have proper, pragmatic conversations, ensuring that we can all find a way through the complexity. Ultimately, it’s all about balance, what works for them, what works for us, and what’s right for the project.
Q: What key learnings have emerged so far?
A key learning has been the importance of early discovery and validation. At the ITT stage, you can only ever see part of the full picture. We had to be clear from the outset that an initial audit and assessment phase would be essential to fully understand the scope and priorities of the project.
As the partnership progressed, that discovery work was beneficial as it helped both teams build clearer understanding and where targeted changes would have the greatest impact.
This kind of flexibility and shared approach to addressing any potential challenges from both sides is really important to a strong and sustainable relationship.
Q: What impact do you hope this project will have for NHS24 users?
What I can say with confidence is that the technology underpinning the service will be significantly better.
We are already seeing a real impact for internal users. Particularly around the ability to respond should any issues arise. And, as the platforms become more stable and reliable, it’s going to naturally lead to a better experience for end users as well.
Q: How does this project shape Affinity’s future direction?
We are so proud – a small company down in Cornwall, winning a project with NHS 24 in Scotland, it’s quite something! This project strengthens our footprint in Scotland, which we’re keen to build on, and it’s great to have the expansion of our NHS portfolio.
What it really does, though, is reinforce what we do and how we do it at Affinity. We are proud of what we’ve invested in, when it comes to security, processes, and building a genuinely agile and collaborative approach to work. A project like this really does show that a company the size of Affinity can operate in this space just as effectively, if not more effectively, than larger organisations.
If you’re working on a digital project in healthcare or the public sector and want to explore how we can help, we’d love to hear from you. You can contact us here and you can also follow us on LinkedIn to keep up with our latest work, insights, and updates.