The NHS is accelerating its digital transformation, driven by government targets and the need for efficiency. Funding gaps, legacy systems, and varying digital literacy pose significant challenges. A phased, people-centric approach to the NHS digital shift is crucial for sustainable change
For trusts facing a lack of funding and unpredictable patient demands during winter health crises, for example, knowing where to start when bringing in new technology can be challenging. However, The value it holds has been seen across the private sector; for NHS trusts, it holds the potential to free up staff capacity, streamline processes, and better manage high patient volumes.
The NHS’s digital transformation journey
With government targets requiring all trusts to have an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) by 2026, with 90% of trusts already achieving this, the NHS is certainly taking the necessary steps towards digital change. Additional government initiatives, such as the recently announced plans for an NHS app upgrade, have also set the tone for a greater focus on new technology.
While the sector is moving in the right direction, there is still a long way to go before it can tap into the benefits of wider digital transformation. Bottlenecks such as funding, outdated legacy systems, and lack of IT literacy hold many trusts back and can prove detrimental to change if not addressed.
Government targets and their impact on NHS digital change
To keep up with government targets, trusts should ensure clarity around what is expected of them. NHS practices should identify the minimum requirement outlined in set targets and build their change process from this point. Adopting a phased approach when developing the digital change journey is the best way to ensure a steady and effective transition between each stage.
This allows trusts to track their progress better, identify any issues that occur when implementing new systems, and address them promptly. Being open to testing and trialing different methods is also essential to progressing digital change, as what works for one trust will not necessarily work the same for another that differs in size, location, or services provided.
People must also remain at the heart of the digital change journey; particularly in the NHS, a lack of understanding around new systems can stifle change, requiring a significant culture shift amongst staff. By understanding the benefits of new technology and its long-term value, employees are more likely to be on board at each step of change.
When staff have become accustomed to legacy or paper-based systems, they may perceive new technology as unnecessary or complex. However, initiatives such as EPRs can store and update data much more efficiently, reducing clinical errors by preventing misplaced or incorrect data. EPRs also allow for much quicker access to patient records, streamlining processes such as appointment booking or specialist referrals.
Improving patient experiences through digital innovation
In addition, the recently announced NHS app upgrade is set to further transform patient experiences by reducing waiting times, sending out reminders to minimise missed appointments, and creating a speedier communication route between the patient and their healthcare provider. When these types of benefits are understood, employees are more likely to be on board from the very first stage of change, allowing them to help push the process forward. This can be achieved through internal communications programmes, which focus on plugging knowledge gaps and raising staff awareness of the benefits of new systems.
To contribute to this culture shift, practical training should also be a key priority for any form of digital change. Hesitancies and reservations can often arise when staff aren’t clear on how to use new technology. They may assume that new systems will be complicated, and lengthen day-to-day tasks as a result of this. When targeted training programmes are provided in alignment with a phased approach to change, employee concerns and skills gaps can be addressed appropriately.
Trusts should also ensure digital change is implemented with the external public, who will be utilising updated services, in mind. Initiatives such as the NHS app upgrade indicate the sector is becoming better aligned with the public’s use of technology. With the digital world constantly expanding, many rely on technology for everyday tasks, making the upgrade a positive step towards providing better patient service. There may, however, be some who aren’t as welcoming or understanding of these initiatives, such as elderly patients. As with overcoming internal staff hesitancies, this requires similar attention to guarantee a smooth transition to using new technology.
Ensuring that change is communicated to patients at the early stages of the plan will help to keep the process seamless and effective. Practices and hospitals should address any concerns expressed by patients and ensure there is readily available information for the public to access to help increase understanding of the rationale for change and how to use the upgraded services.
With the pressure of government deadlines, it can be easy for trusts to perceive digital change as a tedious, one-off task to be ticked off. However, seeing targets as part of wider digital transformation within the trust and across the sector can truly draw out the benefits that technology holds for healthcare. In a constantly evolving digital landscape, working towards targets without creating the space for continuous change will reduce the long-term impact of any new technology introduced.
Putting in continuous improvement processes will help keep digital change at the top of the priority list and avoid it falling flat. This can be done by having full-time, designated staff review systems continuously and identifying opportunities for upgrades or new systems to be introduced. With this, NHS services can keep pace with the general public’s use of technology, ensuring it remains accessible, easy to use, and up to date.
Consistent engagement between staff in the technical and operational space can also allow for ongoing digital improvement. A common obstacle seen in digital change is that IT experts who initially introduce systems hold the expert knowledge about its uses but don’t effectively relay this to staff who will be using it day-to-day. Training is beneficial for addressing this, but hiring IT experts to be available for staff to raise questions or concerns will also reduce the knowledge gap.
Having an expert consultant or team on board throughout the change process will ensure no questions are left unanswered. This will help all staff fully grasp new systems being brought in and understand how this fits into the longer-term vision of continuous digital change.
