Technology
Transforming the NHS using technology
Kate Woodhead RGN DMS examines the Government’s ambitions for technology in the NHS, how it will shape the future of care for patients, and the potential challenges that must be overcome.
The 10-Year Health Plan signalled substantial changes to the NHS, not least one of the key proposals is moving care from analogue to digital and pursuing innovation. The ambition is to create a more technologically advanced health and social care system. There are many different elements which might be included and are named in the 10-Year Plan, such as electronic patient records, digital social care records, hardware and software, interoperability, cyber security, processing power, cloud storage, connectivity and Wi-Fi.1
We know there is much
work to do on many of these. Many Trusts still use fax machines and pagers and send letters to patients for appointments. It is estimated that clinicians spend 13.5 million hours wasted on inadequate or malfunctioning technology. The way in which IT has generally developed in the NHS is that different departments, hospitals or specialties have purchased their own chosen software and developed or commissioned the writing of the software to support the care area. The fact that this data is not made available to interested parties locally means there is much duplication or paper copies distributed – i.e. there is a total lack of interoperability. This too wastes much time, energy and cost. Putting this problem to rights needs technical ability, up-to-date hardware, training and leadership. In addition, the pathways or workflows often need to be adjusted to work with the new technology and this is a step that is often omitted. From a patient’s perspective, it is essential that access to the technology in the community is easy and written in good, clear English. There are many ambitions for the NHS App to provide specific information, connection to services and a means by which patients can be empowered and take more control over their own health. Access must be straight forward, otherwise many individuals will not change their habits, and the efficiencies will not occur. Digital inclusion is vital to ensure that the uptake of effective technologies does not increase existing health inequalities. It is therefore essential that the design of some systems is
undertaken by patients, carers and clinicians working together to embed each of their insights to ensure relevance and trust.
NHS 10-Year Health Plan The ambitious 10-Year Health Plan, published in July, last year,2
changes, backed by £29 billion: l From hospital to community. l From analogue to digital. l From sickness to prevention.
It is hoped that if all the expectations are met, then healthcare in this country will look very different in the future. But we certainly need to emerge from the present crisis and enable patients to rebuild trust, and for services to spend taxpayers’ money effectively and efficiently. This is the new course imagined for the NHS by the current government. The three above “shifts”, as they are known, are immensely optimistic, needing time and money to effectively make such drastic changes. There is only space in this current article to describe the technological developments planned, but at
identified three fundamental
the base of all of it, is the 10-Year Health Plan. One of the significant developments from within the plan is the introduction of the single patient record (SPR). The SPR will consolidate patient information by bringing together a patient’s health information, test results and letters into one unified and accessible place. It will enable co-ordinated care by providing
a comprehensive view of a patient’s health history and, when fully implemented, will offer real-time data sharing across different care settings, including primary, secondary and community care. This enables relevant health care professionals to have immediate access to the most up-to-date information, regardless of where the patient is being treated. It should allow improved population health management, giving better understanding of health trends and needs across communities, earlier detection of health issues, and more timely interventions. It will be interoperable between various NHS silos and data systems, a critical step in overcoming the current fragmentation of patient data. It is closely linked to a so-called
May 2026 I
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