Keir Starmer’s announcement of an NHS “online hospital”, designed to connect patients with specialist clinicians to deliver 8.5 million extra appointments in its first three years, is a promising step forward in the NHS’s digital transformation journey.
The proposal builds on the government’s 10 year plan to make the NHS the most “AI enabled health system in the world”, using digital tools to improve access, efficiency and outcomes.
However, as with any large-scale digital transformation, success will depend as much on the investments in digital infrastructure as with the public-facing technology itself. Without secure and resilient digital systems, even the most innovative platforms risk flat lining.
Connecting legacy systems
The NHS’s digital journey is complicated by decades of legacy technology and fragmented data systems. Connecting these legacy platforms to modern, cloud-native applications will be one of the most complex aspects of the transition….
