HCA GPDesigning a seamless, self-service patient journey for HCA Healthcare UK
TL;DR
The challenge
wagamama needed to design a brand-new digital loyalty proposition from scratch to increase restaurant visit frequency by 8%, drive customer acquisition, and capture deep user insights.
My role
Leading the UX strategy, user research, and cross-functional product design to move the business from an abstract concept to a fully validated, launch-ready platform.
The big win
Beyond shipping a beautiful product on time, my team successfully embedded a user-research-first mindset into wagamama’s corporate culture—ensuring every feature was validated by real guests before a single line of code was written.
Breaking free from legacy constraints
As the UK arm of the world’s largest private hospital group, HCA UK required a digital experience that matched its premium clinical reputation. However, their existing patient booking journey was heavily reliant on a third-party platform, which stifled innovation, restricted design control, and created friction for patients trying to manage their healthcare.
The mandate was to build a future-proof, fully owned ecosystem from scratch that would empower patient self-service, streamline clinical workflows, and scale with the business.
Rapid discovery in a clinical environment
Navigating healthcare requires a delicate balance between strict clinical governance and frictionless user experiences. Leading a dedicated team of researchers and designers, I established an agile approach to map and modernise the entire patient lifecycle:
Dual-perspective discovery
Conducted rapid, iterative research sessions with both patients and clinicians. This ensured the interface solved real user anxieties while respecting operational healthcare realities.
Omnichannel ecosystem design
Structured a seamless experience spanning native iOS/Android apps and desktop web, allowing patients to effortlessly book appointments, access vital screening services, and securely manage health results.
A zero-to-one design system
Built a comprehensive, scalable UI component library from the ground up. This system honoured established HCA branding while introducing a fresh, modern aesthetic tailored for digital performance.
Setting a new standard for digital health
By maintaining a sharp focus on user-centricity and cross-functional momentum, we went from blank canvas to public launch in just six months.
Radical quality improvement
The updated application completely reversed legacy user sentiment, driving the App Store rating from 3.2 up to a 100% 5-star rating on release.
Empowered self-service
Significantly reduced operational reliance on call centres by enabling patients to take absolute control of their healthcare scheduling and data.
Strategic digital foundation
Delivered a highly scalable, robust platform framework that secures HCA UK’s market lead and sets the stage for continuous digital expansion.