Susan Proctor has worked in the NHS for nearly 26 years. Her fascination with data began early—at 12 years old, she impressed her classmates by learning to code and making her name unexpectedly flash across the screen of her school’s BBC computers, having taught herself at home on a ZX Spectrum 16k. Discover more about her journey and the role she plays in shaping Project Athena.
What does your work involve?
As a subject matter expert, my work is focused around challenging the work of our data scientists and the response team experts based on my knowledge of NHS data and its procedures. This involves open conversations and constructive feedback to ensure quality and transparency in our work.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.
My career began in 1998 with the Prescription Pricing Authority, where I manually analysed prescriptions to detect fraud, identifying irregularities and inputting into Excel to take the case forward—before analytical systems supported the process. Over the years, I specialised in prescription data analysis and transferred from the pharmaceutical fraud team to NHS Protect Information Analytics team in 2006, just as we started using business intelligence tools. This shift allowed me to explore new areas like dental data, but I wanted to understand the deeper meaning of the results, which led me to further professional development.
Tell us about your learning journey in data analytics.
In 2008, I returned to university to start my undergraduate degree in management, specialising in how data drives strategic decision-making. This experience gave me a fascinating insight into how people think and use data, and I was proud to graduate with a first-class degree. However, I didn’t want my journey to stop there, I wanted to delve even deeper and understand what results were telling us.
Seven years ago, I went back to do a master's degree in data science, working full time and doing night classes, which really helped me professionalise my skill – learning all aspects of data science such as machine learning, coding, and even how to calculate many mathematical algorithms by hand to better analyse and understand data and the results output.
The skills I learned are crucial, especially when data might be presented in a court of law. I believe transparency is key - understanding the data and how it was calculated or optimised, ensures I can explain my decisions clearly and accurately.
If you weren’t working as a data professional, what would you be doing?
Now that's a question as all those that know me know my love for data! But I do love being outdoors so would either be an outdoor education teacher (what I wanted to be when I was young, as I can sail and still own a canoe) otherwise I would work in animal rescue.
What’s the ethos of your team’s work on Project Athena?
At the core of the data team’s work is a commitment to collaboration and learning, both internally and externally. For instance, as we pipe in new data sources, we will use this information to enrich the work of other teams within the CFA and our partners. We recognise that data alone may not provide a complete picture; personal insights and subject expertise are vital. The data team is dedicated to listening to colleagues who can help us interpret anomalies and deepen our understanding. After all what I see as a data anomaly may not be how an investigator views the output.
Why do you enjoy working on Project Athena?
I’m fascinated by NHS data. While some may find it intimidating, I believe most data can be easily explained and understood. Project Athena allows us to use data to make informed decisions, helping protect valuable NHS resources. By detecting and disrupting large scale fraud, we can help ensure the NHS continues to deliver the best possible care to patients—including our loved ones—without diverting resources away from where they’re needed most.