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12 Dec 2025

Aligning techUK’s Driving Digital Transformation report recommendations with the UK government’s 10-year plan

Digital transformation is no longer a future ambition for health and social care,it is a present necessity. As the NHS faces increasing demand, workforce pressures, and the need for more personalised, efficient services, technology offers a critical pathway to reform and revitalisation.

Two key documents have helped shape this agenda: techUK’s Driving Digital Transformation report and the UK Government’s 10-Year Plan for Health and Social Care.

One year on from the publication of techUK’s Driving Digital Transformation report, this analysis explores how the Government’s Plan aligns with techUK’s previous recommendations, identifying opportunities and for deeper collaboration.

Methodology

This analysis is structured around the ten core recommendations from techUK’s digital transformation report. Each section presents the recommendation, outlines relevant commitments from the 10-Year Plan, and provides commentary on alignment, strengths, and areas for further development.

1. Support Strategic Change through Industry Engagement and Cross-System Collaboration

techUK recommendation:

Engage the health and care technology industry as strategic partners in policy development.
Move from transactional relationships to genuine partnerships

Government alignment:

The Plan commits to new collaborations with commercial partners, universities, and councils.
Recognises the NHS does not have a monopoly on innovation and seeks to partner with external developers.

Analysis:

There is strong alignment in principle. The Plan’s emphasis on partnerships and a networked model of care reflects techUK’s call for strategic engagement.

However, the challenge lies in operationalising these partnerships, ensuring they are embedded in governance, procurement, and service design, not just rhetoric. techUK plays a key role in facilitating pre-market engagement opportunities for members. For example, with NHS England, NHS Blood and Transplant and the NHS New Hospitals Programme.

2. Protect and invest in digital transformation of health and social care

techUK recommendation:

Ring-fence funding for digital transformation and cyber resilience.
Provide financial guidance for cloud services and IT infrastructure.
Align investments with national platforms for architectural consistency.

Government alignment:

Commits to streamlining procurement and investing in technologies that improve outcomes.
Plans to introduce value-based procurement and expand NICE’s remit to digital products.

Analysis:

The Plan’s financial commitments and procurement reforms support techUK’s vision. However, clarity is needed on capital vs. operational expenditure and how cloud-based services will be accounted for within this. There is no mention of the importance of cyber security and cyber resilience within the 10 Year Plan. Given the evidenced risk and impact on public sector services of cyber-attacks, especially through many complex supply chains, a more explicit commitment to cyber resilience would strengthen alignment.

3. Improve Commercial and Procurement Practices

techUK recommendation:

Create a UK-wide framework tracking environment.
Increase transparency and streamline procurement.
Support SMEs and clarify innovation support roles.
Standardise evidence requirements and establish a reimbursement system.

Government alignment:

Plans for a national procurement scheme and formulary.
Will introduce value-based procurement guidance and expand NICE’s technology appraisal process.
Commits to agile regulatory pathways and international alignment.

Analysis:

This is one of the strongest areas of alignment. The Plan addresses many of techUK’s concerns, including evidence standards, reimbursement, and procurement reform. The focus on outcomes over cost is a welcome shift. Continued engagement with SMEs and dynamic frameworks will be key to success.

4. Organise the data landscape

techUK recommendation:

Clarify governance and interoperability strategies.
Engage the public and professionals in data initiatives.
Phase out legacy systems to reduce cyber risk.

Government alignment:

Proposes Integrated Health Organisations with control over local budgets.
Introduces the Single Patient Record (SPR) and commits to patient access via the NHS App.

Analysis:

The Plan’s vision for data integration and patient empowerment aligns well with techUK’s recommendations. However, more detail is needed on phasing out legacy systems and managing intellectual property. Public engagement strategies should be clearly defined to build trust – techUK are delivering on this through regular engagement with NHS England’s Products and Platforms team, including on the NHS App and Single Patient Record.

5. Prepare for artificial intelligence

techUK recommendation:

Develop a central AI strategy and governance framework.
Evaluate the NHS AI Lab’s impact.
Publish a Collaboration Charter with the Government’s AI Incubator.

Government alignment:

Envisions an AI-enabled workforce and virtual assistants via the NHS App.
Plans to expand roles in data science and genomics.

Analysis:

The Plan is ambitious in its AI vision, but lacks detail on governance, safety, and evaluation. A central strategy and impact assessment for AI application in health and social care, as recommended by techUK, would provide the necessary structure to ensure responsible adoption.

6. Define the next phase of the NHS App

techUK recommendation:

Publish a renewed vision, roadmap, and commercial strategy.
Clarify third-party integration.

Government alignment:

The NHS App will become the digital front door to the NHS.
Introduces My NHS GP and the SPR, with plans for AI-enabled navigation and patient data access.

Analysis:

There is strong alignment in ambition and functionality. The Plan’s vision for the NHS App is expansive and patient centred. However, techUK’s call for a commercial strategy and integration roadmap that is delivered in partnership with industry remains essential to ensure scalability and innovation.

7. Accelerate digital transformation in social care

techUK recommendation:

Expand the Digitising Social Care Programme.
Develop assurance mechanisms and support research.

Government alignment:

Encourages ICBs to align with strategic authorities and integrate with local government.

Analysis:

While the Plan supports integration, social care-specific digital transformation is underrepresented. Expanding remit and investing in evidence-based technologies for social care would strengthen alignment and impact, however it is acknowledged that social care was out of the remit of the 10YP. techUK’s Social Care Working Group will be inputting to the Casey Review and implementing the recommendations called for in its DDT report as part of this review.

9. Foster integration across health, social care and core public services

techUK recommendation:

Redesign integrated care pathways.
Adopt an integration-first approach in digital strategies.

Government alignment:

Supports coterminous boundaries for ICBs and strategic authorities.
Will work with the Local Government Association on oversight and accountability.

Analysis:

The Plan’s structural reforms support integration, but techUK’s emphasis on pathway redesign and operational integration needs more attention. Future strategies should embed integration across service delivery, not just governance.

10. Address the digital skills gap in the health and care workforce

techUK recommendation:

Publish and implement the NHS Digital Workforce Plan.
Support Skills for Care’s strategy in partnership with industry.

Government alignment:

Commits to AI training, digital confidence, and modern leadership.
Will partner with tech firms and academia to deliver training via digital platforms.

Analysis:

There is strong alignment in vision and ambition, whilst lacking in detail on delivery it is important to acknowledge the upcoming Digital Workforce Plan for the Government. The Plan’s focus on digital skills, leadership, and workforce transformation reflects techUK’s recommendations. Ongoing collaboration with industry will be vital to ensure relevance and scalability – and techUK looks forward to the publication of the upcoming Digital Workforce Plan.

Conclusion

The UK government’s 10-Year Plan demonstrates a clear commitment to digital transformation, with strong alignment across many of techUK’s recommendations. Key strengths include procurement reform, data integration, and workforce development. However, areas such as AI governance, social care digitisation, and operational integration require further clarity and investment.

To fully realise the potential of digital transformation, continued collaboration between government, industry, and frontline services is essential.

Rachel Kennedy

Programme Manager Health and Social Care, techUK

Rachel joined techUK in December 2024, as a Programme Manager in the Health and Social Care team.

Prior to this, Rachel worked at a specialist health and social care public affairs agency, working with a range of organisations and trade bodies across the medical technology, pharmaceutical, digital health and social care sectors. As well as this, Rachel was part of the Secretariat for a number of health and care related All-Party Parliamentary Groups.

Rachel has a Masters in Global Governance and Diplomacy from the University of Leeds, as well as a first-class honours in Politics BA from Newcastle University.

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