How to hire a Clinical Safety Officer
for NHS digital health.
If your product needs DCB 0129, DTAC clinical safety evidence, SaMD risk management or NHS go-live sign-off, hire a Clinical Safety Officer early enough to shape the evidence - not just sign a document at the end.
Short answer
What should we look for?
Hire a registered clinician who is trained and competent in clinical risk management, understands NHS health IT standards, and has the authority to challenge release decisions. For DCB 0129, the Clinical Safety Officer needs enough product evidence to make a defensible residual-risk judgement.
Dr Chiho Song is an NHS clinician and contracted Clinical Safety Officer in England. For suitable digital health, SaMD and health IT suppliers, he can provide fixed DCB 0129 packages, independent CSO review, external named CSO support and post-go-live safety governance.
Hiring checklist
Check these before you book anyone.
This is the minimum due diligence before a supplier asks an external CSO to own clinical safety evidence.
1
Scope the product
Define intended use, users, patient group, setting, integrations, version, excluded uses and the clinical decisions the product affects.
2
Know the standard
Decide whether the work is supplier-side DCB 0129, deploying-organisation DCB 0160, DTAC clinical safety evidence, SaMD clinical safety, or a mix.
3
Check the person
The CSO should be a registered clinician with clinical risk management competence, not a generic compliance writer or detached signatory.
4
Check authority
An external CSO still needs access to evidence, product decision-makers, hazard review, unresolved issues and release governance.
5
Share evidence
Send current hazard log, CSCR, CRMF, testing, validation, workflow notes, incident history, DTAC evidence and the procurement timeline if available.
6
Agree the output
Be clear whether you need a fixed DCB 0129 package, independent review, named CSO retainer, change review or hourly post-go-live support.
Choose the route
Different hiring intents need different CSO cover.
Pre-go-live
Fixed DCB 0129 package
Best when an NHS buyer, DTAC review or trust go-live needs a defined clinical safety file and signed release memo.
DCB 0129 consultant → ChallengeIndependent or external CSO
Best when the team needs outside clinical safety challenge, named CSO review, or independent sign-off for a suitable supplier scope.
Independent CSO support → OngoingNamed CSO retainer
Best when a live or near-live product needs hazard log custody, change triage, surveillance review and recurring governance.
Contract CSO support → AssessmentDTAC clinical safety evidence
Best when procurement is asking for the DTAC clinical safety section and the DCB 0129 evidence behind it.
DTAC support → AI / SaMDAI clinical safety review
Best for model-driven tools where hazards include automation bias, unsafe confidence display, dataset shift and workflow misuse.
AI clinical safety → BudgetClinical Safety Officer cost
Use the pricing page when the question is cost, retainer model, hourly support or what is included in the fixed package.
See pricing →
What to send
Make the first email specific.
The fastest useful answer comes from a short product brief, not a vague request for "a CSO". Include the product URL or deck, intended use, users, clinical setting, target NHS organisation, decision deadline and whether the blocker is DCB 0129, DTAC, SaMD, an incident, a major change or a missing named CSO.
Do send product scope, timeline, current evidence, target NHS setting
Do not send patient-identifiable data in the first enquiry
Useful files hazard log, CSCR, CRMF, DTAC evidence map, validation notes
Cost
Budget before procurement pressure arrives.
For Dr Chiho Song's CSO services, the advertised prices are published so teams can decide quickly whether the route fits the stage and risk profile.
Fixed DCB 0129 package
£8,500
Defined pre-go-live package: hazard workshop, hazard log, Clinical Risk Management File, Clinical Safety Case Report, safety requirements, post-market surveillance plan and signed CSO release memo.
Full pricing detail →
Post-go-live / ad hoc
£180/ hr
Safety reviews after launch, incident review, hazard log updates, major change sign-off, DTAC cross-walks and recurring governance meetings.
Named CSO retainer
£750/ mo+
Supplier-side named CSO support for suitable products where recurring governance, surveillance review and change triage are needed.
Enquiry
Ask for a CSO route, not just a signature.
If the product is suitable, I will tell you whether the fixed DCB 0129 package, independent CSO review, named CSO retainer, DTAC clinical safety support or another route makes sense. If the scope is not appropriate, I will say so.
Direct cs@csong.health
Phone +44 7455 031153
Response usually a yes, no or referral with next steps
Hire a CSO enquiry