Visionary leadership for the NHS medium term planning framework

As a former NHS doctor and now Director of Health & Innovation at Aire Logic, an employee-owned, B-Corp certified tech consultancy, I've witnessed the clinical and systemic challenges facing healthcare. The NHS Medium Term Planning Framework offers an opportunity to restore accessible local care for patients and communities.

The framework represents an ambitious three-year roadmap to transform the NHS, with digital at its core. By 2029, local leaders will be expected to improve productivity and restore performance against core standards through three fundamental shifts (from hospital to community to reduce demand on acute services, from analogue to digital to modernise healthcare delivery and from treatment to prevention to tackle health inequalities).

This framework creates a genuine opportunity for local leaders to reimagine care delivery and innovate to address specific healthcare challenges in their communities. Rather than being constrained by one-size-fits-all national mandates, leaders can tailor services to meet population needs whilst aligning with broader strategic priorities.

ICBs and providers will align their five-year strategic plans with national priorities whilst maintaining freedom to drive local innovation. Monthly trust-level productivity measures will support transparency, though this heightened visibility means greater scrutiny when performance falls short.

At Aire Logic, we collaborate with NHS trust and ICB leaders navigating the pressures of staff shortages, funding constraints and difficult service delivery decisions. We help leaders make informed decisions about urgent priorities, helping them to understand and transform their technology ecosystems, particularly in frontline settings where the impact is most immediate.

Building digital infrastructure

The need to accelerate adoption of emerging technologies - AI, data analytics, connectivity - has never been more urgent. A modern, efficient and robust digital future must place patient-centred care at its core, empowering people with greater choice and control over how their care is delivered.

The NHS App exemplifies this potential. With over 37 million registered users and 11-12 million logging in monthly, it's making remote healthcare access a reality. However, we have only just scratched the surface of the impact that this type of engagement can deliver. This year's roadmap will enable AI-assisted triage and data-driven pathways, allowing patients to navigate services through a single interface whilst reducing referral-to-treatment times.

For healthcare to truly become as accessible as online banking or shopping, we must embrace simplicity as a superpower. Technology should empower people, not create barriers and widen the gap between haves and have nots. When systems talk and data flows seamlessly, patients gain more control. Better care starts with better infrastructure, and when access improves, outcomes improve.

But for the NHS App to reach its full potential, providers and commissioners must adopt modern infrastructure. We must learn the lessons from past failures - fragmented systems and poor execution have harmed the NHS. Success requires significant investment in interoperability, modern

infrastructure, a genuine commitment to making systems work together and an agile, collaborative approach to delivery.

The leadership imperative

This is the moment for NHS leaders to genuinely engage with their communities, understanding what patients and staff need. Leaders must build trust and motivate teams to embrace new digital systems that boost productivity. We need people with the vision to back long-term initiatives such as modernisation of infrastructure and supporting prevention initiatives which may yield their benefits years down the line. This strong leadership will ultimately steer transformation to success.

The framework grants ICBs and NHS providers freedom to drive innovation, placing them in the spotlight. This pressure to meet exacting standards also enables leaders to shape policies and pioneer new working methods. Success stories can become best practice templates for others.

Moving forward

The health service requires fundamental transformation to overcome its challenges. With visionary leaders moving at pace to embrace digital advances, the NHS can build desperately needed resilience. Without this momentum, it will remain in survival mode.

Cultural change is equally critical. We need to shift from scepticism to embracing technology, supported by comprehensive training so staff know how to use new tools effectively. This means creating an environment where innovation is celebrated, not feared, and where frontline teams feel empowered to adopt new ways of working.

The scope for transforming healthcare is vast, but we will face significant challenges on the way. Integrating local systems into national platforms is complex, and public trust must be earned through transparency and robust data security. The framework provides the platform. Now we need leaders with the vision and purpose to make transformation reality.

Author

Dr Harry Thirkettle

Director of Health Innovation, Aire Logic

Health and Social Care Programme activities

techUK is helping its members navigate the complex space of digital health in the UK to ensure our NHS and social care sector is prepared for the challenges of the future. We help validate new ideas and build impactful strategies, ultimately ensuring that members are market-ready. Visit the programme page here.