Digital Health Rewired 2025: A Critical Moment for the NHS’s Transformation?
By Ian Denley, CEO, Graphnet Health
As we look ahead to Digital Health Rewired 2025, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment for UK healthcare. Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has articulated a clear vision for healthcare reform, focusing on three key shifts: moving care from hospitals to communities, prioritising prevention over treatment, and embracing digital technology. His core strategy, often referred to as ‘the left shift,’ is about shifting care earlier into communities, presenting an exciting opportunity for collaboration, innovation, and system-wide change.
Wes Streeting’s Vision: The Three Shifts for NHS Reform
Wes Streeting’s vision is not just aspirational—it reflects the urgent need for change in the NHS. His strategy focuses on three core shifts:
- From hospital to community: Reducing pressure on hospitals by enabling proactive care closer to home and empowering communities to manage their own health.
- From treatment to prevention: Shifting the focus to early intervention, preventing health issues before they become critical.
- From analogue to digital: Modernising services with technology, improving access, and ensuring that both clinicians and patients can make informed, data-driven decisions.
These shifts are interconnected, offering a comprehensive approach to creating a sustainable and efficient healthcare system that puts patients at the centre of care.
Supporting the Transformation with Data and Technology
One of the most critical enablers for transformation will be the effective use of data and technology. By harnessing population health data, we can support the NHS’s three core shifts in meaningful ways. A prime example of this is the way analysts at Integrated Care Boards are already using population health data to track changes following preventative interventions. This approach is akin to real-world medicine, with significant benefits in managing long-term conditions and improving outcomes.
For instance, in the Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System (ICS), data from remote monitoring programmes has shown remarkable reductions in health and social care interactions. This includes a 38.6% reduction in A&E attendances, a 53.7% reduction in admissions, and a 26.7% reduction in outpatient appointments. An independent actuarial report has also concluded that the direct savings from the first three of these measures concerning hospital attendance will be in the region of £5m-£8m annually. With over 10,000 high-risk patients enrolled in this remote monitoring programme, the evidence speaks to the effectiveness of shifting care from hospitals to the community.
This data-driven approach is also being used to tackle long-term conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. In Cheshire and Merseyside, One Wirral CIC has utilised population health data from platforms like CIPHA, combined with waiting list analysis, to support diabetic patients at risk of having their surgeries cancelled. Since the programme’s launch, participants have shown encouraging improvements, such as a reduction in HbA1c levels from 73.4mmol to 63.25mmol, a drop in BMI from 34.2 to 32.99, and a weight reduction from 98.41kg to 95.45kg, all within just 12 weeks.
These examples highlight how population health data can help drive the shift from treatment to prevention, enabling early intervention that reduces the need for acute care and supports patients in managing their conditions proactively.
Turning Vision into Reality
At this moment of significant change, the focus must be on translating vision into tangible results. By enabling Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) to work more cohesively, empowering clinicians with real-time insights, and ensuring a data-driven approach to decision-making, we are already seeing the potential for real transformation.
The Government’s commitment to listening to those working in the field means that this is also a rare opportunity to demonstrate how digital health solutions are already making a difference in areas like mental health monitoring, vaccination programmes, and addressing health inequalities.
Digital Health Rewired 2025 provides a great opportunity to showcase new technologies, engage in critical discussions, share best practices, and work together to shape the future of UK healthcare and help bring Streeting’s transformative agenda to life. I look forward to seeing you there.
