DIGITISATION
Above: Trusts don’t just need to go from analogue to digital, they need to find the technology that will support productivity. Above right: Monitors can be placed in all hospital rooms and have a variety of functions.
consider the role of the ‘patient pays’ model. We have also been encouraging organisations to work with us to provide additional functionality that will make the lives of staff and patients better. Now, we are planning to ‘end of life’ the old units next
year. As we do that, organisations will still be able to use the valuable infrastructure that sits behind the units to deliver entertainment, communication, and information to patients. It’s just that it will happen using modern bedside carts, iPads, and patients’ own devices. At some points, the 10 Year Health Plan implies the
NHS has got stuck on paper and needs to adopt digital technology. I think the NHS has been using digital for as long as other sectors; but its adoption has been patchy and, in some areas, it has got stuck on old technology. That means organisations need to think ahead. As
Trusts and their IT departments look to respond to Fit for the Future, they will need the right technology partners. Suppliers that can not only install new IT, but maintain, refresh, and build on it. At Spark TSL, we know that by 2035 we will have
refreshed the iPads that we are putting into Trusts now at least twice; and we can predict that we will be running apps that haven’t yet been thought of, as requirements evolve.
Change tech, change relationships The move from CDs to streaming didn’t just change the distribution mechanism for music. It changed people’s relationship with it. Today, people can compile playlists of the songs that matter to them, and get suggestions tailored to their needs – from working out to relaxing. In the Netherlands, the Jeroen Bosch Ziekenhuis is already using Spark Fusion to engage patients and give them more control. Its iPads give patients access to a meal ordering app that reduces waste by enabling them to order food that fits with their tastes and condition, thanks to integration with administrative and clinical systems. The devices also provide patients with information about
their treatment, discharge and rehabilitation. Patients can download the Fusion app onto their own devices and take digital leaflets, medicines advice, physiotherapy exercises, and other information home with them. Spark Fusion can also support modern call systems that allow patients to indicate what they need, before a busy member of staff heads for their bedside. It also allows for environmental control apps that enable patients to control light or ventilation in their rooms. All that’s in addition to the video calling, TV, and entertainment packages that are already in use in the NHS.
Increased engagement and control can help patients
to achieve the best possible outcome and reduce the risk of costly readmission. Which, of course, fits with the other two shifts that the 10 Year Health Plan wants to see, from hospital to community, and treatment to prevention. The plan says it is ‘boosting operational productivity’
that will enable the NHS to ‘restore constitutional waiting time standards and deliver increasingly innovative care’. But it argues it is ‘more precise prevention, and the information and tools that patients need to more actively participate in their own care’, that will reduce demand in the long term. What I take from this is that Trusts don’t just need to go
from analogue to digital, they need to find the technology that will support productivity, excite staff, and engage patients. Spark TSL is supporting lighthouse deployments of our latest technology, and one of the first English hospitals to deploy Spark Fusion has run a survey that has demonstrated that 80 per cent of patients are finding it easier to find educational content. The platform is putting information in patients’ hands so they can act on it.
Feedback loops Speaking of surveys – the 10 Year Health Plan outlines a new role for patient feedback. It says this could be used alongside league tables to support patient choice and that it could influence the rates hospitals are paid for treatment. Our technology facilitates the collection of patient feedback. It can be used to run statutory surveys, cutting costs and driving-up completion rates. Hospitals have also had considerable success in using our dedicated charity banner to encourage patients to support their charities, and spread the word about the great work that they do. However, that is just a small part of the picture. The big piece is to seize the opportunities presented by digital to modernise health and care delivery and improve both staff and patient experience in the process. To do that, Trusts and health boards need find the right digital partner, with the right technology, and the vision to evolve that technology over time. The sheer scale of the 10 Year Health Plan can make
NHS transformation look like a daunting task, particularly when the NHS is under huge financial and demand pressure. That is why that panel is my way in. It shows that digitally enabled change is possible, and that its benefits accumulate over time. With focus, we can deliver the ‘higher convenience, lower unit cost’ services to the NHS that we have come to expect and value in our day to day lives.
Jane Stephenson
Jane Stephenson is CEO of Spark TSL, a provider of digital engagement and patient experience solutions for the NHS and healthcare sector. She has overseen the company’s growth from its origins in connectivity services, to its position today as a partner to many hospital Trusts and health boards in England and Scotland. Under Jane’s leadership, Spark TSL has expanded its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and innovation, including the integration of Hospedia’s bedside units and the development of Spark Fusion, a platform now used by European hospitals to enhance staff productivity and patient wellbeing. She is a strong advocate for moving healthcare delivery from analogue to digital, aligning technology with the NHS’s long-term ambitions for prevention, personalisation, and productivity. Passionate about
collaboration, Jane champions partnerships that deliver sustainable value for both staff and patients. Her vision is for healthcare technology to evolve in step with clinical and operational needs, ensuring digital transformation remains people-focused and future-ready.
October 2025 Health Estate Journal 165
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