St Oswald’s Hospice in North East England is the first hospice in the UK to take part in Health Data Research UK’s (HDR UK) Black Internship Programme (BIP), helping to drive diversity and innovation in health data science.
As the only hospice in the national scheme, St Oswald’s Hospice is leading the way for community and palliative care organisations to engage in research and data-led innovation.
The BIP supports aspiring black data scientists with training, mentoring and real-world experience, while helping organisations tackle health and care challenges.
Despite the field’s rapid growth, black professionals remain heavily underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) community.
Christiana Abolarin has secured a twelve-week internship at St Oswald’s Hospice, sponsored by NortHFutures Digital Health Hub. She will work on a dedicated data project to improve insights, enhance services and strengthen research capacity.
Christiana said:
“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.”
St Oswald’s Hospice, based in Gosforth near Newcastle upon Tyne, provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care for adults, children and young people with life-limiting conditions. As a regional charity, it is committed to innovative approaches to delivering high-quality care.
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.”
Simon Gordon, Director of Strategy and Development at St Oswald’s Hospice, added:
“Christiana’s placement will help us bring data science and patient care together, strengthening both our services and our ability to advocate for resources.”
Dave Kirk, Training and Skills lead for NortHFutures Digital Health Hub (Newcastle University), commented:
“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 hospice’s second year in the programme. In 2025, an intern developed a tool to measure the impact of its lymphoedema service on patients’ quality of life, supporting long-term improvements.
Participation reflects the hospice’s ongoing commitment to equity, inclusion and diversity, and highlights the role hospices can play in shaping the future of health data science.
The internship begins this month following the national programme launch which took place on 24th June 2026.
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