Rezina Hakim
Senior Policy Adviser, the NHS Alliance
The NHS isn’t short on technology; it’s short on the culture, trust and time needed to make digital transformation stick.
The NHS is not an analogue healthcare system. Walk into any NHS service, and you’ll find technology in use. Yet, there are also digital platforms and pathways which are not delivering on their potential. Some systems were procured when funding was available or to meet a national ambition which has since been deprioritised. In some cases, digital tools were bought but held back by poor integration or limited scalability.
Understand population health needs first
Technology and potential solutions have never been in short supply. The NHS has struggled with implementation and staying the course long enough to achieve them. Too often, reorganisations or shifting priorities prevent this, and the benefits are never realised.
The NHS needs a culture and system that supports
measured risk-taking and gives new ideas time to succeed
Fundamental to digital pathway design is knowing the why, not the technology. Technology should solve problems that have been identified locally. Data and evidence should show an intervention is needed for people and communities. This process would start by asking where the demand sits in the system, what’s needed to unlock it and whether technology can help.
Building evidence amid constant change
Once a need has been identified and a digital pathway designed, adoption takes time. Yet, time is lacking in the NHS. Frontline teams are expected to meet rising demand while embracing and embedding new, technology-enabled ways of working, often with shrinking frontline and digital workforces.
There is no time to pause, learn, evaluate what worked and build on success before attention shifts to the next national or technological demand. Constant organisational change compounds the problem, leaving little opportunity for improvements to take hold.
Culture of trust and commitment
The NHS needs a culture and system that supports measured risk-taking and gives new ideas time to succeed. It must be comfortable backing new digital models around local needs and priorities with confidence that they will be supported long enough to demonstrate their value. Technology can absolutely help, but until we’re honest about what digital transformation requires, we’ll keep mistaking procurement for progress.
