Public demand, trust and inclusion

The success of digital transformation in the NHS is reliant on public engagement and confidence. The public increasingly expect healthcare services to reflect the digital convenience they experience in other sectors, and this growing expectation presents a powerful opportunity to modernise care delivery and improve patient experience.

In 2024, the NHS Confederation’s report on patient empowerment – in partnership with Google – found that  across all age groups more 72 per cent of adults would use technology to avoid a hospital admission, with a similar proportion happy to use technology to monitor their health and share information and data with their doctors. 

Delays in communication are a key area for improvement. The King’s Fund found that 32 per cent of the public think the NHS is poor at keeping people informed about their care and treatment and 20 per cent said they had received an invitation to an appointment after the date of the appointment. 

Digital technology, including EPR and the proposed single patient record as well as automated admin processes using AI and the NHS App, could all work to improve this basic function and in turn patient experience. The vast majority of the public and NHS staff are supportive of the use of AI in administrative tasks (61 per cent and 81 per cent respectively). These findings highlight strong public support for digital innovation that improves communication and access.

Data privacy and security, clinical safety and digital inclusion are the key dimensions for securing public trust and demand for digital transformation in the NHS. Digital clinical tools must be rigorously evaluated for clinical efficacy and safety, something that is being developed through expanding National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s remit to cover devices, diagnostics and digital products as part of the drive for a faster, fairer rollout of high-impact technology. 

Lastly, digital inclusion is vital to ensure the uptake of effective digital solutions do not worsen existing health inequalities. People at risk of exclusion fall into three main groups:

• those without affordable devices or reliable internet
• those lacking digital skills or confidence
• those who prefer traditional channels. 

Older people express particular concern that technology might distance them from NHS staff. The Health Foundation found that four in ten individuals over 65 name face-to-face interaction as their most important consideration when using NHS technology. Across the UK there are 7.9 million people without basic digital skills, while 1.6 million do not have a smartphone, tablet or laptop and 21 million struggle to afford their mobile contract. Addressing digital exclusion is critical to ensuring that digital transformation supports equity and does not deepen existing disparities.    

Co-designing digitally enabled services with patients, carers and clinicians and embedding their insights at every stage ensures relevance, builds trust and drives meaningful adoption of technologies. While the ambition to deliver a digital-first NHS is important, a hybrid model that combines digital convenience with face-to-face connection is key to inclusive transformation.