‘Crisis mode’ within NHS seen as greatest challenge for digital health and care progress in 2023
At the end of 2022, techUK surveyed members working in the health and social care sectors to find out what the tech industry thought about the year just gone, and what is to come in 2023.
We found that 45% of respondents thought that the ongoing ‘crisis mode’ within the NHS and social care presented the greatest challenge for the digital health and care industry in 2023.
The elective care backlog, staff shortages, the demands of an ageing population, wider funding pressures and many other factors have contributed to the immense difficulties the NHS and social care currently face. The current situation often makes it harder to implement tech solutions that would ultimately help to ease pressure on frontline staff and create more efficient systems.
After the current ‘crisis mode’, the three greatest challenges identified were:
- insufficient funding for digital transformation (20%)
- a culture that is resistant to digital transformation (17%)
- a lack of awareness of the potential capabilities of digital technologies (11%).
In our report, Right from the Start, published in July 2022, we highlighted several case studies from members demonstrating the positive outcomes for staff, patients, and the wider system, when digital technologies are utilised to their full potential.
In this survey, we also asked members to reflect on the steps taken by government in 2022, a year which saw the biggest structural reforms to the NHS and social care since 2012.
When asked which action would have the greatest positive impact on digital transformation in health and care, the two most popular answers were the intention to join up health and care, including commitments made on shared care records for all citizens by 2024 (27%) and the placing of ICSs on statutory footing (24%).
These were closely followed by the allocation of an extra £1bn next year to Adult Social Care and an increase to the NHS budget of £3.3bn (21%).
Finally, when asked how much progress they felt had been made on digitising the UK’s health and care system in 2022, members were divided. While over 50% thought a fair amount of progress had been made, 37% thought 2022 had seen only minimal progress. In light of this division, the outcome of the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s recent enquiry into government progress on digitising the NHS will be seminal, and we welcomed the opportunity to contribute to this inquiry.
Following these results, techUK’s Health & Social Care Programme will be building on engagement with Integrated Care Systems and continue to showcase the potential of digital transformation in 2023. We look forward to working with our partners across the NHS, Department for Health and Social Care and devolved nations to help drive forward the benefits of digital technology. To find out more you can view our 2023 strategy here, or get in touch with a member of the team below.
Rachel Kennedy
Rachel Kennedy
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.
Viola Pastorino
Viola Pastorino
Viola Pastorino is a policy, governance, and strategic communication specialist.
She joined techUK as the Junior Programme Manager in the Health and Care Team in April 2024.
She has obtained a Bachelor of Sciences in Governance, Economics, and Development from Leiden University, and a Master's programme in Strategic Communications at King's College London. Her academic background, leading up to a dissertation on AI policy influence and hands-on campaign development, is complemented by practical experience in international PR and grassroots project management.
She is skilled in qualitative and quantitative analysis and comfortable communicating findings to varying stakeholders. Above all, she is deeply passionate about the intersection of technology and government, especially how technology and global discourse shape one another, the processes that lead to belief polarisation and radicalisation of communities, and crafting strategic narratives that steer public discourse.
Outside of work she loves reading, live music light operation, and diving.
Lewis Stewart
Lewis Stewart
Lewis brings a multidisciplinary background spanning health policy, stakeholder engagement, digital innovation, and elite sport. A former Commonwealth Games champion, he draws on the resilience, adaptability, and team-driven mindset gained through years of high-performance competition.
Before joining techUK, Lewis supported a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons, where he led on constituency engagement and produced evidence-based research to inform debates, committee work, and policy advocacy. He has also helped shape youth wellbeing policy through the Youth Sport Trust, collaborating with government, education, and grassroots networks to drive impact.
Lewis has played key roles in health tech and mobility startups, helping to bring innovative solutions to market and improve user experience in complex systems. With a degree in Biochemistry and Pharmacology, he combines analytical thinking with a passion for evidence-led, people-centred change.
- Email:
- [email protected]
