Why we need challenger thinking to help realise the NHS 10-Year Plan
To realise the ambitions of the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHSmust embrace the mindset of challenger brands, putting user needs first, rethinking legacy systems, and building the digital infrastructure needed to deliver truly joined-up, preventative care, writes Dr Harry Thirkettle, Head of Health Innovation at Aire Logic.
As a former NHS surgeon and now a clinical entrepreneur at Aire Logic, an employee-owned, B-Corp certified tech consultancy, I’ve seen the NHS’s challenges and potential up close. The NHS 10-Year Health Plan offers a bold vision to transform England’s healthcare system. Its three key shifts (from sickness to prevention, from analogue to digital, and from hospitals to communities) are both necessary and ambitious. To make this vision a reality though, we must embrace purpose-driven innovation and build a robust digital infrastructure.
By 2040, 9.1 million people in England are projected to live with major illnesses, many in deprived areas facing earlier diagnoses. The plan’s focus on prevention aims to ease this burden through early intervention and healthier lifestyles, making the healthy choice the easy choice.
The shift to digital delivery is equally vital. By using technology, the NHS can make healthcare as accessible as online banking or shopping.
Central to the digital shift is the single patient record, a unified platform accessible via the NHS App. This could consolidate GP visits, hospital records and test results, enabling seamless care coordination, reducing errors and empowering patients. For example, a patient moving from hospital to community care would benefit from real-time data access, avoiding delays or duplication. But better care starts with better infrastructure. That means making systems talk, and data flow because ultimately this is what gives patients more control. When access improves, outcomes improve, and everyone wins. Prevention really is the most powerful form of care.
We are still scarred by past NHS IT projects, like the National Programme for IT, which highlighted the risks of fragmented systems and poor execution. Current records are often held locally, with limited integration. Overcoming this requires significant investment and a genuine commitment to interoperability. Public trust in data security is also critical, especially with third-party providers involved. Transparent communication and robust safeguards are essential to address privacy concerns.
Embracing challenger thinking
To deliver this transformation, we need challenger thinking, inspired by industries like banking. Companies like Monzo disrupted traditional models by designing user-centric platforms. Similarly, the NHS must prioritise the needs of patients and clinicians, creating intuitive systems that simplify health management. This means moving beyond legacy infrastructure to design a digital ecosystem that is seamless and efficient.
The plan’s proposal to use AI as a ‘trusted assistant’ for clinicians is a step in this direction. AI could streamline administrative tasks, analyse data and support decision-making, freeing up time for patient care but this requires a cultural shift within the NHS. We need to shift from scepticism to embrace technology, supported by training for staff so they know how to use it effectively.
The scope for transforming healthcare is vast. The implementation of a single patient record could fundamentally alter care delivery, provide substantial cost savings and empower data-driven research for improved public health outcomes. Community-based care aligns with the growing prevalence of chronic conditions, easing pressure on hospitals. Yet, challenges remain.
Integrating local systems into a national platform is complex, and public trust must be earned through transparency and robust data security. If digital and community are to take over from hospitals it requires a seamless, joined-up infrastructure and central to this will be achieving a single patient record that follows individuals across settings. Without that foundation, we risk layering innovation on top of fragmentation.
The NHS 10-Year Health Plan offers a transformative roadmap for the health and care service. Success, however, will require challenger thinking to design systems around user needs, not legacy constraints. When it comes to health tech, we need suppliers who truly enable change and help create a more connected, proactive and sustainable health and care system.