A design for patient dignity with Olivia Burns

Our guest today is Olivia Burns, an independent healthcare consultant, healthtech entrepreneur, and a long-term NHS patient. As one of the first UK survivors of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Olivia has undergone a total of 21 surgeries including three novel open-heart surgeries at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. This significant lived experience, combined with a desire to innovate, led her into the inaugural intake of the NHS Patient Entrepreneur Programme, where she plays a key role in championing patient involvement in medical innovation and policy development. Olivia is the founder of Hypoplas, a medical design company that reimagines patient care through dignity, sustainability, and practical design. Her star product - a redesigned, patient-centric hospital gown - secured Innovate UK funding, international design rights, and commercial licensing agreements. Today, we’re talking about the development of Hypoplas and how her own experiences led to its creation, while also covering the incredible importance of patient dignity, how it can lead to faster recovery, and how it can often be overlooked...