“I have worked for over 15 yrs in Healthcare sales, firstly in pharmaceuticals and more recently for Panasonic  as the Healthcare Business manager of the Toughbook range for Scotland, Ireland and NE England. Two weeks ago I was made redundant, as Panasonic decided just to focus on NHS England and Wales.”

For Mac users, the Toughbook with its intensely Windows approach takes some getting used to, though it’s ruggedised version does have an ingenious angling screen. Still, like many big companies only in a country the for the one contract short haul, Panasonic has not only given up on Scottish Healthcare contracts, but also on a promising local consultant presence.

Check LinkedIn, and you’ll discover that Campbell is that “Hamewith” peripatetic (enthusiastic runner) archetypal Scot. Leaving university he “worked as a gamekeeper and steel erector, moved to Germany where he worked in security and facilities management with the British Army, then on international coaches between Germany and the UK, before traveling through Europe and South East Asia to Australia, where he worked in sales in the microfilm industry.”

He claims a passion for sales, marketing, training and personal development using and developing these skills throughout his career.

And he practices what he preaches. This summer holidays he has apprenticed his14-year-old son, teaching him Internet search and marketing; and how to set up web pages. “That’s how he earns his pocket money,” laughs Campbell “and he’s also developing good, marketable skills.”

Technology drive at  patient care
But talk a bit more and you will discover that Campbell's really deep-seated passion is about patient care and the use of technology (high or low) to improve the services for those suffering from chronic diseases.

He mentions the new replacement for warfarin just launched; praises the current practice of sending ECG information on-line to confirm heart attacks from ambulances or offshore rigs, which results in fast, life-saving injections; and agrees the sense of bringing pharmacy and chemist shop into the NHS communications fold.

“Even at the low tech level of a hand held paper record profiling a person’s health, this can save expert time and speed-up patient care,” he says.

Technology of course carries him into other sectors ranging from software to telecoms, where he’s knowledgeable about mobile phones and broadband suppliers, mentioning in passing a staggering £150 charge by BT’s for an hour’s presentation session in Paris.

“A lot of the challenges faced by the Health Services are the ones about having the right information at the point of care. Improving patient care through technology is not just a nice idea. It is the only way we are going to tackle the demographic time bomb,” he says.

Based in Dunfermline, and well located for the life sciences build-up in Dundee and Edinburgh, he was involved last year with the European Centre for Connected Health in Northern Ireland.

“That was a drum banging exercise to attract in US and large companies (Computer Associates, Bosch, Continua) into looking at Northern Ireland and seeing what was on offer. He made good contacts there and feels that Scotland can provide similar attractions.

Unless someone snaps him up, Campbell is “planning to work as honest broker for technology companies wanting to enter the Scottish healthcare market. And practicing what he preaches, has as his shop window, set up a small Blog to promote stories about technologies that are improving patient care.

His consultancy work in the past and currently has mainly come through referral. He cites Cooper Software as one company “that provides the clever link bits” for ERP systems, with whom he has worked.

Having checked out his blog, the next place to visit would be his teaser marketing consultancy page. For anyone looking to make the healthcare contacts, or work out a technical marketing strategy, it’s definitely cherry picking season.