NHS leaders are keen to adopt new digital tools, but IT can't solve problems on its own

NHS staff are eager to adopt new technology, saying it could help them treat millions more patients per year.

A survey from Virgin Media O2 Business of 1,000 senior decision-makers in public healthcare across the UK found that three in five believe new digital tools could help the NHS to reach 3 to 5% more patients – potentially benefiting at least 51,000 more people every day.

According to the report, nearly nine out of ten believe that digital technologies such as electronic health recording and Internet of Things (IoT) devices for monitoring vital medicine could significantly reduce the workload of frontline staff and decrease patient waiting times.

The report notes that the introduction of Integrated Care Systems across England in 2022 has already led to progress, with 98% of respondents acknowledging it has positively influenced hospital technology adoption in their local area.

"The introduction of integrated patient care has already had a positive impact on digital progress across the NHS," said Mark Burton, health and social care lead at Virgin Media O2 Business.

"However, our findings demonstrate there is still a huge untapped opportunity to use technology to drive operational efficiencies for patients and staff across the UK."

The report did find, however, that the variety of NHS structures across the UK has brought about a regional divide in terms of levels of digital maturity.

For example, more than four-fifths of surveyed staff in London, Belfast and Edinburgh agreed current connectivity solutions effectively support efficient patient care, while this number drops to 65% of staff in the South East, South West and Yorkshire and the Humber.

"As the NHS becomes increasingly digital, prioritising digital skills and confidence for staff, fostering open communication and adopting a strategic approach to technology investment will be critical to continued progress," said Burton.

"Public-private partnerships can help here, playing a significant role in delivering robust connectivity for an NHS that is ready for anything."

A report earlier this year from the Health Foundation charity found that the technologies most likely to save staff time were AI-based clinical documentation tools and software for analysis of images.

However, it warned, productivity gains will come not just from technology itself but from how well it is used.

"We found the biggest barriers staff face in using technologies effectively in their work include underlying IT and digital infrastructure and capability, as well as challenges with implementation and usage," wrote the researchers.

"Specifically, we identified considerable frustrations about the lack of IT support, lack of funding to implement new technologies and poor-quality connectivity and equipment."

Among the technology-related plans in Labour’s 2024 manifesto, the party pledged to transform the NHS app, making it easier for patients to manage their medicine, appointments and health needs; it's also said it plans to digitise the NHS 'red book' used by parents for their children’s medical records.