In this episode, we're joined by Ola Spencer from Optegra! We explore how Optegra harnesses the power of conversational AI and generative AI to transform patient care and streamline operations.

Kieran Gilmurray:

Hello everyone! I’m Kieran, and welcome to another episode of DRUID Talks.

Today, we’re diving into the fascinating world of ophthalmology and how technology is revolutionizing patient care. Our goal is to understand the pivotal role of AI and digital transformation in healthcare, specifically in ophthalmology.

I’m thrilled to have Ola Spencer, Group CTO at Optegra, joining us today. Optegra is one of Europe’s largest ophthalmology providers. We’ll explore the technology driving their success and the impact on patient care.

Welcome, Ola.

Ola Spencer:

Hi Kieran, great to see you again.

Kieran Gilmurray:

You might notice I’m struggling to pronounce some words today, so I’m going to rely on you as the expert, Ola, to keep me and the audience on track. Let’s see where we get to.

Could you tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your journey to becoming Group CTO at Optegra?

Ola Spencer:

Absolutely, Kieran. I’ve spent the last 17 years in healthcare and life sciences, mainly focused on transforming and growing businesses through innovation, which is also my passion. I started developing new therapies for childhood cancers, then moved into technology consulting, helping build digital capabilities in large organizations. I’ve worked with FTSE 500 companies to reshape strategies and transform them into patient- and consumer-experience-driven organizations that engage throughout the entire healthcare ecosystem (providers, payers, and patients) in this constantly evolving digital era.

The last six years I’ve been with Optegra, initially focusing on technology transformation. During COVID, we explored business model change and now I lead operations and technology across the group: everything from managing demand and supply to patient pathways, standardization, clinical outcomes, and the digital innovation agenda.

Kieran Gilmurray:

Wow, that’s a lot, and it sounds like fun! So, Optegra is one of Europe’s largest ophthalmology platforms. Why are hospitals so interested in your technology?

Also, for those unfamiliar, could you explain what ophthalmology is?

Ola Spencer:

Of course. Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine focused on eye care: everything from cataract surgeries for the elderly, laser surgery to reduce dependence on glasses, to treating glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration patients.

At Optegra, we’ve been growing rapidly, mainly through organic growth. This year, we expect to perform around 150,000 procedures across our UK, Czech, Poland, and Slovakia markets. Globally, healthcare services face huge challenges: staff shortages, ageing populations needing care. So, as a company, we’re focused on supporting the wider healthcare ecosystem to mitigate these challenges. That means optimizing patient pathways and clinical workflows through digital capabilities and a huge focus on patient experience. One key element is full end-to-end pathway standardization, underpinned by paperless working. AI has been a major enabler here, energizing us in recent months and driving big positive changes for patients and clinical teams.

Kieran Gilmurray:

That AI...was it Conversational AI or another type?

Ola Spencer:

Initially, we focused on Conversational AI, leveraging voice AI and chatbots on our website in multiple languages to support patient journeys and medical assessments throughout the organization.

Kieran Gilmurray:

That’s the interesting part, isn’t it?

Conversational AI feels natural because people prefer talking to typing.

Ola Spencer:

Exactly.

Kieran Gilmurray:

How does Generative AI support your great clinical outcomes?

Ola Spencer:

In 2024, we focused on implementing voice bots and chatbots to handle inbound and outbound patient calls, especially for preoperative assessments throughout the patient journey. Identifying the right use case that drives value for patients, clinicians, and the organization was key. Pre-medical assessments are critical and must be done before every surgery. In the UK, we do about 1,000 of these weekly. We use DRUID AI voice and chatbots to support this. The results have been outstanding. Our NPS scores for patients using AI-powered assessments are above 97%, which is exceptional, especially considering many patients are over 60. We called back 2,000 patients to ask about their experience and all were highly satisfied: clear conversations, time to provide medication info, even understanding different accents. Clinically, our infection rates are far below industry standards at 0.006%, and our visual acuity outcomes exceed 99% across the board. We’re truly focused on delivering excellent clinical outcomes at every stage.

Kieran Gilmurray:

So that’s the DRUID voice bot you’re using for inbound calls?

Ola Spencer:

Yes. Patients receive a call from our virtual assistant named Iris. Iris contacts them for preoperative assessments, asking 15 to 20 condition-specific questions about their symptoms, medications, and general wellbeing, then books them for face-to-face diagnostics.

Kieran Gilmurray:

And the outbound calls are post-operative follow-ups, checking on conditions and satisfaction?

Ola Spencer:

Exactly.

Kieran Gilmurray:

You’ve been on this journey with Conversational AI for five years or more. What’s it been like?

Ola Spencer:

It’s definitely felt long but necessary. There were many prerequisites before fully leveraging AI. We transformed our infrastructure across hospitals, achieving 97% cloud capability, all data in the cloud to enable AI. We implemented new clinical systems, some open source like OpenEyes, and integrated medical devices. Along with pathway standardization, these foundations allowed us to unlock AI’s potential. Without standardization and interoperable technology, it’s hard to realize AI’s value. The organization’s ownership of the vision and investment in people were equally important. Every successful company must transition from repetition-based work to change-driven innovation. That’s how you drive benefits for patients and clinical teams.

Kieran Gilmurray:

I love how you keep technology, people, education, and patients all connected. You told me during prep that your pre-op assessments outperform NHS standards in time and cost. Can you share those numbers?

Ola Spencer:

Absolutely.

In the NHS, pre-medical assessments are done by clinical teams, typically nurses, lasting about 30 minutes and costing £50–60. We moved from phone-based virtual assessments to AI, which now costs around £2 per assessment.

This huge cost saving frees clinical teams to focus on complex cases, critical given limited resources.

Kieran Gilmurray:

Demand is rising everywhere, but clinical staff shortages and funding constraints are also rising.

Reducing £50–60 to £2 per assessment is extraordinary. Why did you choose DRUID AI over other platforms?

Ola Spencer:

Good question. It was multi-dimensional. We did market assessments focusing on patient-centric platforms with strong capabilities, ease of use, and interoperability for seamless patient touchpoints.

DRUID was one of the few to deliver this. Credentials mattered, too. We were lucky to speak with Regina Maria, Romania’s largest private hospital group, which has been on an incredible AI journey for 4-5 years. About 80% of their patient interactions, from booking to care, are handled via their platform, a great success.

Finally, the DRUID team impressed us: culturally, technically, and with a strong product roadmap. We need partners that evolve with us. We believe companies that transform survive, and those that truly transform thrive. DRUID is one of those partners.

Kieran Gilmurray:

Two real transformation stories: DRUID and Regina Maria. Efficiency gains at the edges help, but real competitive advantage comes from changing how you do things.

Ola Spencer:

I hope we catch up with Regina Maria faster!

Kieran Gilmurray:

I have a feeling you will.

So what does the future of eye care look like?

Ola Spencer:

Ophthalmology is exciting because it’s a focused specialty, often ambulatory with less complex cases. Cataract and refractive surgeries offer big opportunities for transformation. We see huge market growth and want to support both public and private patients. Patient-centricity, people, and technology are at the heart of everything. Integration across ophthalmology allows us to deliver efficient, personalized journeys, from appointment to post-surgery care, improving outcomes and satisfaction.

Iris will expand to support patients with appointment queries, portal access, medication reminders, and more. Multilingual support is critical. We operate across multiple countries, and in the UK alone, patients speak many languages. DRUID’s real-time translation via chat or voice is transformative.

Kieran Gilmurray:

Amazing. Thank you so much for joining DRUID Talks today. I love your journey: educating the business first, digitally transforming your tech stack into the cloud, then adopting AI. Your ambition to improve patient outcomes with technology and skilled professionals in an efficient, affordable way is inspiring. The multilingual technology is a crucial but often overlooked part of patient engagement in today’s multicultural world. An amazing story.

Ola Spencer:

Thank you. We hope this is just the start and will continue growing.

Kieran Gilmurray:

I look forward to interviewing you again. With your drive, this is only the beginning. Thanks so much.

Ola Spencer:

Thank you, Kieran. Lovely speaking with you.

Stay tuned for the next episode of DRUID Talks. Subscribe to be notified at https://druidai.com/talks.