With £4.2 billion set aside for the UK’s healthcare sector in the 2024 Spring Budget, there are new opportunities for digital transformation initiatives to optimise operational efficiency and enhance patient care across the country, says Zine Giles, Account Director at Exponential-e. However, with uncertainty about how these new funds will be utilised after the change of government, the path to driving lasting, positive change across the entire sector remains unclear, for now.
The 2024 Spring Budget announced a £4.2 billion boost for the healthcare sector. £3.4 billion of that is set aside for the NHS over three years to help the system work better, through increased investment in technology. Whilst all parties manifesto pledges have differing priorities, regardless of the next government, all are committed to the application of technology for the betterment of the NHS and are also aligned in exploring the potential benefits that AI brings to bear.
Don’t discount the opportunity before we get going
Ultimately, the goal is to save £3.5 billion over the next five years by making things more efficient, in line with the NHS Long-term Workforce Plan. Which sounds simple? Well, yes and no.
Whilst most of us would agree that increased investment into our nation’s health can only be a good thing, some worry that “throwing money at the problem” isn’t the answer – and in part I’d agree. However, it’s important that we don’t discount the opportunity before we get going. After all, it would be remiss of us to understate the benefits that digital transformation has already delivered and continues to bring to the table.
For context, the National Audit Office reported in 2018 that previous investment in new technologies across the sector had been “expensive and largely unsuccessful” and questioned whether any lessons had been learned. As recently as March 2024, Professor Pat Cullen, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing said1:
“Technology is transformative in healthcare, but you still need enough staff to use it, yet the chancellor did not face up to his NHS workforce plan now heading in the wrong direction. Fewer people are starting nurse courses, not more. When nursing staff are already forced to give care in corridors and treat 15 patients at a time, his productivity plan must not ask them for even more.”
Continuing the momentum to date
So, mistakes have certainly been made and must be learned from. But it’s equally important that we continue to build on achievements to date, and not discount the strides that have been made in technology-powered healthcare.
- We’ve seen NHS Digital (now the Digital Directorate within NHS England) leverage technology and data to support better care and boost efficiency, particularly with the launch of HSCN and the NHS app.
- The National Pathology Imaging Co-operative (NPIC) is helping accelerate cancer diagnosis and improve the speed at which pathology results are delivered. This is enabling real-time, cross-team collaboration, with clinicians leveraging data and AI to support one of the NPIC’s key objectives: reducing waiting times for cancer treatment.
- HMPPS and the Telemedicine programme opened new channels that allowed people going through the justice system to continue accessing healthcare services throughout the pandemic – an effective model for omnichannel care.
Looking at these projects as examples, it’s clear that with user-centred design, technology can drive better outcomes for patients and make life easier for staff on the frontline.
To be clear, this isn't just about buying new gadgets. A sustainable future for our healthcare sector must involve change at a systemic level. In other words, greater education, improving population health and reducing health inequalities across the system – all of which will require much more than money. Where digital and technology investments are concerned, we need clear objectives and demonstrable benefits realisation, so that the investment delivers tangible, positive outcomes across all levels of society.
There's certainly a lot to consider, and how the budget’s allocation will exactly play out following election is yet to be seen. However, whilst this announcement doesn’t solve everything, it’s already clear that technology can give the NHS that extra few percentage points in terms of efficiency, which translates into improved patient outcomes and ultimately lives saved.
