The NHS is ‘stuck in the analogue age’ and being held back by ‘creaking, outdated technology’, Shadow Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, told the annual NHS Confederation Conference.
Calling for faster and more-widespread adoption of technology and the creation of a ‘single front door for technology innovators’, Streeting said: “Even if the NHS weren’t in the midst of the worst crisis in its history, which it objectively is; and even if public finances weren’t in a terrible mess, which they are; my argument is that we would still need to be talking about how we build an NHS that’s fit for the future – equipped to deal with the health needs and epidemiology of the Britain of 2048, not 1948.
“The revolution that is taking place in medical science, technology, and data that has the potential to transform our healthcare and there is no reason why we should not be leading the rest of the world in this field.
“But too often it feels as if the NHS is stuck in the analogue age.”
Time for an upgrade
He spoke out after earlier comments from Tom Roques, vice president of the Royal College of Radiologists.
Roques said the single change that would help most to retain doctors in the NHS is better IT.
He added that, for every patient he sees, he has to enter seven passwords just to get the information he needs and that the technology on his phone makes his life easier, but IT at work makes his life more complicated.
The revolution that is taking place in medical science, technology, and data that has the potential to transform our healthcare and there is no reason why we should not be leading the rest of the world in this field
Streeting told the conference: “Our health service is being held back by creaking, outdated technology. You know it, frontline staff know it, patients know it – it is time for an upgrade.”
And he said hours of staff time was being wasted and taxpayers money ‘effectively chucked down the drain’.
Recalling a conversation with Zubir Ahmed, a surgeon and Labour’s candidate in Glasgow South West, Streeting said: “He told me an all-too-familiar story about his frustration of accessing a PDF file with his patients’ notes, only to find they’d be scanned in the wrong order, which meant he had to print them out and reorganise them to get the information he needed.
Losing time and money
“Multiple the time lost by him and others and it’s not hard to see the volume of lost time and money.”
He also hit out at Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak’s promise to make Britain a world leader in AI, saying: “It’s a bit rich when he can’t even axe the fax or purge the pager.
“These failures may sound trivial, but this is the low-hanging fruit.
“If they can’t do the basics, what chance is there to seize the opportunities that exist today, but aren’t being taken?”
Research by the Labour Party revealed almost 80% of NHS trusts are still running on pagers, with 80,000 of them in use across England.
“This is technology that is so obsolete, there is only one supplier of pagers left and a new pager today costs up to £400,” said Streeting.
“At last count, one in 10 that are still in use across the world is owned by the NHS.
The technology that exists today can instantly free up staff, make their working lives more bearable so they stay in the service, and deliver better, faster care for patients at the same time
“I’m sorry, but this is not what an NHS fit for the future looks like.”
And he called on technology companies to work with the NHS to speed up its digitalisation journey.
“The coming years will see innovations that will change the face of healthcare, but how long will it be before patients here see the benefits?” he said.
Lagging behind
“There are now tools which can map radiation therapy onto cancer cells, avoiding organs more precisely than a radiologist working alone.
“This is the standard technology used across the United States, but just one in three radiotherapy planning centres in England use this technology.
“I’ve said before that the future of the health service must see more care taking place in the community, reducing the burden on hospitals, and allowing patients to receive healthcare from the comfort of their own home.
To make it fit for the future, the NHS will have to change and the change will have to be deep and fundamental – not a few more doctors and nurses here, a bit more funding there – it’s about serious reform and modernisation; a different way of delivering care for patients
“But slow adoption of technology is working against that.
“The technology that exists today can instantly free up staff, make their working lives more bearable so they stay in the service, and deliver better, faster care for patients at the same time.”
He revealed Labour’s plans for a ‘single front door for innovators’, telling the conference: “No more shopping products or trials to each and every NHS trust.
“Where they can help, we will hold the door open and usher you through.
“And, in procurement, the NHS should identify the goods and services that should be purchased at scale and buy them at the discount rate.
A different approach
“We will cut out unnecessary bureaucracy, to stop new technology being constantly re-evaluated for years while the world moves on.”
He added: “I was blown away when I visited a medical technology conference in Israel last year.
“They are 10 years ahead of us.
“To make it fit for the future, the NHS will have to change and the change will have to be deep and fundamental – not a few more doctors and nurses here, a bit more funding there – it’s about serious reform and modernisation; a different way of delivering care for patients.”
Responding to speech, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “It is true that constant firefighting and instability helps no one and is ultimately a hinderance to the delivery of quality patient care.
“And it’s true that workforce shortages continue to be a key issue and that much of the NHS’s technology and estate is dated.
“Moving more care into the community, empowering patients with technology to receive healthcare at home – something we know that there is huge appetite for – and greater use of AI and the NHS app, are all part of a sensible portfolio of measures, which leaders would be pleased to see implemented.
“NHS leaders will particularly welcome the Shadow Secretary of State’s commitment to addressing the years of under investment that we have had in capital, including in IT.
Moving more care into the community, empowering patients with technology to receive healthcare at home – something we know that there is huge appetite for – and greater use of AI and the NHS app, are all part of a sensible portfolio of measures, which leaders would be pleased to see implemented
“This holds the key to unlocking the productivity gains we want to see in the NHS.”
His comments were also welcomed by healthtech leaders.
Steve Sawyer, managing director at Access Health, Support and Care, told BBH: “By redefining the concept and utilising technology that already exists, the NHS can instantly free up staff and improve outcomes for patients.
“Ultimately Streeting is right, serious modernisation is needed if we are to address the friction in the system.”
Paul McGinness, chief executive and founder of Lenus Health, added: “We work daily with NHS organisations to help them deliver more-proactive care for patients with major conditions like chronic lung and heart disease using artificial intelligence.
“The best technology empowers people to manage their own health and wellbeing at home while supporting integrated care across different settings and sectors.
“Digital health is not a luxury or an option; it is a necessity and an opportunity for improving health and care in the UK.”
But they also warned there would need to be adequate funding and a long-term vision.
Read on for more comments from leaders in the sector.
Rachael Fox, executive vice president for the UK and EMEA at Altera Digital Health
“It’s no secret that the NHS has suffered from years of underinvestment, which has contributed to uneven, often-patchy digital transformation.
“When digital projects are approached in an often-inflexible, costly way, it’s no surprise that this is the case.
“Wes Streeting raised some pertinent issues in his speech, but none that were all that surprising, when you consider this backdrop.
“However, it’s not an entirely bleak story and we are encouraged by his reference to Israel’s digital infrastructure and are proud to say we deliver population health management solutions that cover the entire country of Israel.
“While Streeting quotes they’re a decade ahead, we know we have the skills and resources to catch up quickly here in England.
“The single door for innovation that he mentions would also be welcomed.
“Currently, especially in the EPR market, there is a huge risk that innovation is stifled by the emerging supplier duopoly.
“Funnelling innovation in this way, I think, would help to encourage competition in the market and make sure suppliers are always adapting and evolving to the needs of the NHS, rather than forcing it to work around legacy systems that aren’t fit for purpose.”
Funnelling innovation in this way, I think, would help to encourage competition in the market and make sure suppliers are always adapting and evolving to the needs of the NHS, rather than forcing it to work around legacy systems that aren’t fit for purpose
Kieran Hughes, president for Europe at Nordic
“Calling out the historical lack of funding in capital, specifically technology, and the ‘failure on digitisation’ are fair reflections.
“But, while Wes Streeting’s commitments are laudable, the question is, how is it going to be funded?
“It also doesn’t tackle the elephant in the room – the pressure on the existing workforce and bridging the digital skills gap.
“Labour needs to consider a shared service approach to be able to create the much-needed digital workforce, particularly for specialist skills such as data and analytics, at scale and pace.
“This type of innovative initiative, which involves partnering with the tech industry to help train specialists and upskill the existing workforce, could be established within a matter of months.
“Only by working with specialist suppliers in this way, will the NHS be able to achieve these aspirational goals in digitisation.”
Paul Landau, chief executive of Careology
“The shortfall in capital for IT in the NHS has persisted for years, but the promise the Shadow Secretary of State’s pledge to fix this has been made many times before.
“While we fully welcome Labour’s commitment to move from analogue to digital, we need long-term thinking and a coherent approach to cancer.
“We still don’t have a dedicated cancer plan which outlines how effective care will be delivered.
“A specific plan which clearly states how we will deliver accessible and equitable care for everyone living with cancer is needed to outline both the strategic direction and co-ordination of the technology and services required.”
A specific plan which clearly states how we will deliver accessible and equitable care for everyone living with cancer is needed to outline both the strategic direction and co-ordination of the technology and services required
Steve Sawyer, managing director at Access Health, Support and Care
“While the commitments to embracing digitisation in the NHS is welcomed, realistically, Streeting isn’t saying anything new.
“We know that tech adoption has been slow, AI needs to be more widely embraced, the NHS needs further investment, and the workforce is under intense pressure, burdened by unnecessary manual processes.
“However, if more is done to reduce the logistical friction in health and care services, and to enable the seamless sharing of data across the care continuum, immediate steps can be taken in modernising services and reducing the pressure on burnt-out staff.
“Virtual wards are a perfect example – we need to move beyond the prescriptive hospital-at-home service to a fully-virtual and integrated model that resolves the friction in the system, transcends secondary, social care and community services, and utilises data across the ecosystem.
“By redefining the concept and utilising technology that already exists, the NHS can instantly free up staff and improve outcomes for patients.
“Ultimately Streeting is right, serious modernisation is needed if we are to address the friction in the system.”
Louise Wall, managing director of E18 Innovation
“Wes Streeting's talk at the NHSConfed Expo shed light on critical issues facing the healthcare industry.
“Leveraging technology to address workforce pressures is crucial, and automation will play a pivotal role in streamlining tasks.
“However, the slow adoption of technology, especially in community health and social care, hinders progress.
“Automation allows healthcare professionals to focus more on direct patient care, enhancing the quality of care provided.
“And providing tailored automation solutions that align with the NHS’s specific needs and goals, is the way forward.
“While government initiatives in digital healthcare are commendable, a comprehensive policy commitment is necessary to further accelerate progress.
“Identifying and addressing any gaps will be vital to maximising the benefits of automation.
“Labour’s focus on digital advancements presents an opportunity for innovation and efficiency in healthcare delivery and we remain committed to collaborating with stakeholders to shape the future of digital healthcare.
“Together, we can build a sustainable healthcare system that prioritises patient care and relieves workforce pressures.”
We need to move beyond the prescriptive hospital-at-home service to a fully-virtual and integrated model that resolves the friction in the system, transcends secondary, social care and community services, and utilises data across the ecosystem
Paul McGinness, chief executive and founder of Lenus Health
“I was encouraged to see Wes Streeting highlight the urgent need to overcome the challenges of outdated technology.
“We work daily with NHS organisations to help them deliver more-proactive care for patients with major conditions like chronic lung and heart disease using artificial intelligence.
“The best technology empowers people to manage their own health and wellbeing at home while supporting integrated care across different settings and sectors.
“We strongly believe that the fair and actionable insights we provide, like the world’s first predictive AI in direct care of patients with chronic lung disease, will be a key enabler of long-term transformation and system resilience.
“Digital health is not a luxury or an option; it is a necessity and an opportunity for improving health and care in the UK.”
It’s vital that we build on the progress already made, rather than ripping out and replacing for sake of political gain
Craig Oates, managing director of Doctrin UK
“Wes Streeting’s commitments to modernise healthcare, address inaction, and make proper use of digital is always going to be welcomed news.
“And it will certainly inject confidence among the technology industry, with promises of further opportunities to partner with the NHS.
“However, as is always the case, the devil is in the detail, and that's yet to be seen.
“Crucially, the promised overhaul shouldn’t result in examples of digital advancements within healthcare being overlooked or undone along the way.
“For example, the impact of care navigation platforms in primary care have been game-changing – redistributing the demand on services, addressing operational inefficiencies, enhancing patient experiences, and enabling more-seamless pathways of care into secondary and community care.
“It’s vital that we build on the progress already made, rather than ripping out and replacing for sake of political gain.”