As we look toward the year 2025, the digital health sector stands on the cusp of dramatic transformation, driven by rapid technological advancements and strategic investments. With valuable insights from leading health tech suppliers, this article delves into the anticipated changes and developments across seven fundamental areas: digital transformation, integrated care, cybersecurity, leadership and teams, startups, AI and data, and smart health. The new government’s promise to invest significantly in NHS technology has fueled a sense of anticipation and optimism about the future landscape of digital health, setting the stage for an era of unprecedented innovation and progress.
Digital Transformation
Markus Bolton, director at Graphnet Health, has highlighted a vision where population health data plays a critical role in transforming the UK’s healthcare system. The upcoming 10-year health plan focuses on three pivotal shifts: transitioning care from hospitals to community settings, moving from analog to digital processes, and shifting from a sickness model to one centered on prevention. Effective use of data to predict, prevent, and manage health conditions is crucial in realizing this vision. Programs such as Combined Intelligence for Population Health Action (CIPHA) are slated for significant expansion, leveraging aggregated population health data to identify at-risk individuals earlier and target interventions more effectively.
Paul Volkaerts, chief executive of Nervecentre, reinforces the importance of digital technology in addressing financial pressures and enhancing productivity. Business cases that prioritize measurable financial and productivity gains over merely treating digital as an enabler for transformation are expected to become increasingly common. Jason Jones, global customer manager at Rackspace Technology, stresses that for true digital transformation to occur, healthcare organizations must rethink traditional workflows, roles, and interaction points while integrating workloads to improve patient outcomes.
Paul Charnley, senior healthcare advisor for St Vincents Consulting, reiterates that transformation will remain a central tenet of NHS progress. Digital components must support broader clinical and operational changes, with an emphasis on stabilizing and optimizing existing systems. Significant analog systems still persist, necessitating a collective shift toward digital thinking to achieve true transformation within the NHS.
Integrated Care
Steve Wightman, general manager at The Access Group, anticipates the forthcoming 10-year health plan to guide digital discussions throughout the next few years. Integrated care boards (ICBs) will need to eliminate siloed technology examples that lead to inefficiencies and instead promote a comprehensive ecosystem for integrated care across both the NHS and social care. By linking frontline digitization efforts with other tech strategies, championing preventative care, and encouraging collaboration among clinicians and care professionals, the government’s shift objectives can be met effectively.
Dr. Rachael Grimaldi, co-founder and CEO of CardMedic, expresses cautious optimism regarding the Labour government’s potential to deliver on its NHS funding promises. Genuine reform is necessary to eliminate the disparity between frontline clinical needs and NHS operational capabilities. Integrated care systems (ICSs) must work diligently to break down existing silos, particularly in areas like healthcare interpretation and patient communication, to enhance patient experiences and ensure safety.
Charlotte Donald, chief care officer at Cera, underscores the importance of integrating health and social care services as highlighted by Lord Darzi’s NHS review. Digitization and patient consent for sharing health data are paramount to creating a sustainable model of care. By making patient data accessible across various systems, the quality and efficiency of care can improve, reducing pressure on the NHS and leading to better patient outcomes.
Leadership and Teams
Lawrie Kidd, clinical transformation manager at DrDoctor, asserts that strong leadership and dedicated teams are essential for prioritizing long-term process changes within integrated care system (ICS) boards. To effectively implement innovative solutions and transform digital infrastructure, these leaders need the proper amount of time, tools, and support. Through the right leadership, healthcare organizations can ensure that innovations address significant NHS challenges and maximize the additional pledged funding.
Phil Bottle, managing director of SARD, believes that smarter trusts will focus on collecting detailed management information to inform strategic decisions around capacity and demand. This granular insight can improve decision-making by balancing productivity with patient safety and staff well-being. Uniting planning and operations will enable leaders to create cohesive and adaptable systems that optimize resource allocation, ultimately leading to more efficient healthcare delivery.
Startups
Dr. Mark Ratnarajah, UK managing director at C2-Ai, emphasizes the necessity for health tech companies to scale up in order to support the NHS with innovative technologies. Policy momentum is driving the adoption of proven applications that improve quality and efficiency. It is crucial for the NHS to embrace these technological advancements equitably, with funding and mechanisms designed to scale proven innovations, thereby ensuring that all patients benefit from these advancements.
Dave Burrows, founder and CEO of Damibu, acknowledges that health inequalities continue to persist under a single-design approach to service provision. The NHS long-term plan and ICS influence present opportunities to leverage technology for more personalized care. Regional digital platforms can make services more accessible to diverse patient groups, improving engagement and addressing systemic pressures in the process.
Dr. Chris Evans, co-founder and CEO of Little Journey, highlights that the focus in 2025 will be on laying solid foundations for AI rather than implementing radical changes. AI holds tremendous promise for transforming healthcare, but it is essential to prioritize the development of infrastructure, governance, and regulation. Attention must be given to ethical data use and the practical integration of AI into clinical workflows rather than large-scale rollouts lacking foundational support.
Cybersecurity
Chris Scarisbrick, deputy managing director for UK and Ireland at Sectra, warns of sustained risks and increased requirements for cyber credentials. Suppliers must adopt best practices to ensure compliance with frameworks like Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO27001. Safeguarding digital progress against cyber threats is a collective duty, and the healthcare sector must remain vigilant to maintain the integrity of patient data and system security.
Chris Clinton, cofounder and CTO at Naq, predicts a rise in cyberattacks targeting NHS organizations. Demands for improved cyber hygiene will stem from the National Cyber Security Centre and the Department of Health and Social Care. Suppliers must demonstrate their security and compliance status, with greater rigor expected in 2025. The switch to the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) may lead to some confusion, but it is a necessary step for enhancing security across healthcare systems.
Leon Lerman, CEO and co-founder of Cynerio, underscores regulatory advancements such as the UK’s CAF and the importance of modern security solutions capable of detecting and responding to cyber threats. Network Detection and Response for Healthcare (NDR-H) offers an essential defense layer, and its deployment is expected to enhance hospital security significantly, protecting sensitive patient data and critical digital infrastructure.
AI and Data
Jacob West, managing director of healthcare & life sciences at Microsoft UK, highlights the groundbreaking potential of AI in augmenting work and life within the healthcare sector. Generative AI tools can help reduce administrative burdens, craft patient communications, and summarize consultations, ultimately allowing NHS trusts to maximize time available for direct patient care and improve overall patient outcomes.
Rhett Alden, CTO of health markets at Elsevier, discusses the transformative role of AI in clinical decision-making. Generative AI can save clinicians considerable time on repetitive tasks, enabling them to focus more on patient care. AI has the capability to analyze patient records and develop personalized treatment options, easing the burden on clinicians and enhancing the quality of care provided. During this growth phase, responsible AI principles and human oversight remain essential.
Dr. Nadine Hachach-Haram, founder and CEO of Proximie, anticipates the expanded use of anonymized data to enhance diagnostics and develop new medical procedures. AI technologies are expected to progress into sustained usage, improving healthcare productivity and meeting the increasing demand for qualified professionals. The allocation of ring-fenced funds for NHS digital technology illustrates the government’s commitment to the adoption of advanced technologies in healthcare.
Smart Health
As we gaze toward the horizon of 2025, the digital health sector is on the brink of a monumental transformation, sparked by rapid technological innovation and strategic investments. This article explores the expected changes and advancements in seven key areas: digital transformation, integrated care, cybersecurity, leadership and teams, startups, AI and data, and smart health. Insights from leading health tech providers offer a robust outlook on these developments.
The newly elected government’s pledge to heavily invest in NHS technology has inspired optimism and excitement about the future of digital health. This commitment is poised to usher in an era marked by remarkable innovation and progress, revolutionizing how healthcare is delivered and experienced.
Digital transformation will improve efficiency and patient care, while integrated care promises a more cohesive and coordinated approach to health services. On the cybersecurity front, safeguarding patient information will be paramount as digital platforms become more prevalent. Strong leadership and teamwork will drive these initiatives, alongside the fresh ideas and enthusiasm from startups.
Artificial intelligence and data analytics will unlock new insights, enabling personalized treatments and better health outcomes. Lastly, smart health technologies will bring forward cutting-edge solutions for continuous monitoring and proactive healthcare management. The future of digital health is set to be dynamic and vibrant, driven by these anticipated advancements.
