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As the only hospice involved in the national programme, St Oswald’s is breaking new ground for the hospice sector by creating opportunities for aspiring data scientists while exploring how data can help improve care for patients and families.
This summer, Christiana Abolarin joins the Hospice for a 12-week internship, sponsored by NortHFutures Digital Health Hub. During her placement, Christiana will work on a dedicated data project designed to strengthen research capacity, improve service insights and support the continued delivery of high-quality care.
“My passion is turning data into actionable insights that tackle real-world issues like health inequality. I’m excited to support St Oswald’s in improving patient care.”
The HDR UK Black Internship Programme supports aspiring Black data scientists through paid placements, training, mentoring and hands-on experience. The initiative aims to help address the underrepresentation of Black professionals within the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sectors while enabling organisations to tackle real-world health and care challenges through data.
For St Oswald’s Hospice, the placement represents an opportunity to further develop evidence-based approaches to care and strengthen its role in research and innovation.
Simon Gordon, Director of Strategy and Development at St Oswald’s Hospice, said:
“Christiana’s placement will help us bring data science and patient care together, strengthening both our services and our ability to advocate for resources.”
The Hospice’s involvement has also been welcomed by HDR UK.
Afua Acheampong, Head of HDR UK’s Black Internship Programme, said:
“We are always looking for more host organisations to get involved and St Oswald’s Hospice is unique in the programme. Their involvement shows what’s possible and opens new opportunities for research and collaboration in health and social care.”
Dave Kirk, Training and Skills Lead for NortHFutures Digital Health Hub at Newcastle University, added:
“We’re thrilled to be able to fund this kind of initiative for partners here in the North East, further demonstrating our capacity for leading data science innovation.”
This is the second year St Oswald’s Hospice has participated in the programme. In 2025, an intern developed a tool to measure the impact of the Hospice’s lymphoedema service on patients’ quality of life, helping to support future service improvements.
Participation in the programme reflects St Oswald’s ongoing commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, while demonstrating the important role hospices can play in shaping the future of health data science and research.
The internship follows the national launch of the 2026 Black Internship Programme in June and marks another step in the Hospice’s commitment to finding innovative ways to improve care for people living with progressive, life-limiting conditions.
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