TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE A QUIET REVOLUTION


Digital transformation has moved beyond a niche goal. It’s a present reality, actively reshaping how care is delivered across England, says Daniel O’Shaughnessy, Head of Programme Delivery at The Digital Care Hub.


Technology has long held promise for transforming adult social care, and the last few years have shiſted the conversation from pilot projects to genuine progress. In a recent speech, Michelle Dyson, Director General for Adult Social Care at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), reflected on that journey – and so did Digital Care Hub’s very own Michelle Corrigan and Katie Thorn, co-hosts of the CTRL + Care podcast.


What emerges from both the speech and the podcast is a growing consensus: digital transformation is no longer a fringe ambition. It’s real, it’s happening, and it’s reshaping how care is delivered across England.


‘THE QUIET REVOLUTION’


One of Dyson’s compelling points is the scale of change already underway, a transformation she called ‘the quiet revolution’ in digital.


Katie Thorn highlighted this shiſt. She said: “People have been cracking on with adopting digital tools at a really astonishing rate. A 10% increase in the use of digital care records year on year for the last three years, compared to just 3% before, is absolutely game-changing.”


“As of July 2025, 77% of CQC-


registered providers now use a digital care record”


As of July 2025, 77% of CQC-registered providers now use a digital care record. Much of that happened with relatively modest government investment (£150m over three years), demonstrating how committed providers have embraced innovation – oſten creatively and cost-effectively.


“Everybody who's gone out there, made the most of their resources and really embraced this whole digital revolution should give themselves a massive pat on the back,” Thorn added.


TECHNOLOGY WITH A HUMAN HEART


Corrigan and Thorn noted Dyson’s examples of innovation, including Wigan Council’s use of AI in care needs assessments. While automation raises red flags where there’s a lack of human oversight, they praised the approach for enhancing, not replacing, the human element.


Thorn explained: “They’re using transcription tools to record real conversations then automatically forming a care needs assessment based on the conversation between two people. It’s reducing the administrative burden without removing human input.”


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Corrigan added: “We are an industry of human empathy. We cannot deliver good care without humans in the process. The real skill is in the ability to look at the information AI churns out and notice if it doesn’t capture what we need.”


STANDARDS, SKILLS, AND SECURITY


Looking to the future, the podcast covered the government’s announcement that they will develop national standards for care tech – tools designed to remove guesswork and risk from technology decisions.


“I personally feel a lot better choosing something if someone says, ‘Here's the best version,’” Corrigan said, highlighting how care providers may not necessarily know how to choose between different tech specifications of a piece of software. “That’s absolutely where government needs to step in.”


They flagged the need to invest in digital workforce skills, especially as the tech landscape evolves rapidly. “There's absolutely no point rolling something out that your care workers can't use,” Corrigan noted.


The duo emphasised that unlocking the information already being collected in digital care records could transform planning and outcomes, but only if national systems are in place to share it safely and effectively.


CONNECTING HEALTH AND CARE


A major theme in Dyson’s speech was supporting people to stay at home for longer. As care becomes more medicalised at home, Corrigan emphasised that systems must evolve too: “If we're delegating healthcare tasks and putting more health at home, the healthcare system needs to get closer to social care. And I think we're on our way-but I want to see us do more.”


The road ahead will demand strong national leadership, clear guidance, and sustained collaboration. But the direction is clear, and increasingly achievable.


www.digitalcarehub.co.uk www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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