The NHS’s 10-Year Plan aims to transform healthcare by prioritising prevention, personalisation, and integration. This approach, argues John Clarke, must accommodate those who are digitally excluded while utilising technology to empower staff and improve patient outcomes
Why Digital Transformation Matters
Healthcare systems face mounting pressures: rising demand, workforce shortages, and fragmented IT. Digital transformation offers a way forward— streamlining processes, reducing administrative burden, and enabling proactive care. But success depends on platforms that are agile, adaptable, and designed to evolve with the NHS.
Solutions must flex to local needs today while remaining robust for the future. They should support integrated care pathways, multidisciplinary collaboration, and population health management. Inclusivity is critical: even in a digital-first approach, hybrid models and omnichannel communication must ensure access for digitally excluded communities.
Bridging Vision and Reality
Ambition alone is not enough. Many frontline teams still experience a gap between strategy and delivery. Execution capacity is stretched, and outdated processes slow progress. What’s missing is the bridge between bold ideas and everyday care—practical tools that enable rapid innovation and collaboration.
Netcall’s low-code, AI, and automation platforms provide that bridge. They empower staff to design and deploy digital services quickly, without heavy reliance on central IT. This accelerates transformation while maintaining accessibility for all users.
The Role of Low-Code and AI
Low-code platforms like Liberty Create allow teams to build and refine services in weeks, not years. Trusts can create self-referral portals, triage forms, and follow-up workflows rapidly—reducing development cycles and procurement delays. These tools foster experimentation, enabling teams to test ideas, adapt quickly, and scale what works.
When AI and automation integrate with low-code, the impact multiplies. AI-powered chatbots handle routine queries, freeing staff for patient care. Predictive analytics identify health risks, while robotic process automation eliminates repetitive tasks. Together, these technologies deliver efficiency and insight—without compromising safety or control.
Understanding the Problems
Before designing solutions, organisations must understand their processes. Liberty Spark helps map workflows, surface inefficiencies, and identify gaps in care coordination. This clarity ensures digital interventions are targeted and scalable. Spark’s AI capabilities enable simulation of process changes and generation of actionable insights—accelerating design and deployment of intelligent, locally driven services
What’s Already Working
Across the NHS, digital success stories are emerging:
- Patient-led booking reduces missed appointments.
- Virtual wards free up hospital beds.
- AI triage tools support faster, safer decisions in 111 and A&E.
- Remote monitoring enables proactive care for chronic conditions.
- Digital front doors ease pressure on GP teams.
These examples prove transformation is possible—but scaling requires interoperability and shared standards.
From Point Solutions to Connected Systems
One challenge is fragmentation. Many technologies solve isolated problems but fail to integrate. The future lies in modular, interoperable platforms that support the entire care journey—from patient communication to clinical workflows and data sharing. Lessons from sectors like banking and utilities show that digital-first, customer-centric models can deliver seamless experiences. Applying these principles to healthcare will accelerate progress.
Supporting Integrated Care
As neighbourhood health centres and integrated care systems grow, digital tools must enable multidisciplinary teams and smooth care transitions. Inclusivity must remain central— designing services for underserved communities from the outset builds trust and equity. Hybrid models combining digital and face-to-face support will continue to play a vital role.
Netcall’s omnichannel capabilities ensure communication across digital and traditional platforms, so no one is left behind.
What Success Looks Like
Short-term success means reduced waiting times, fewer missed appointments, and increased use of digital channels like the NHS App. It also means higher staff morale as repetitive tasks are automated and systems become more supportive.
Long-term success is a healthcare system that is predictive, personalised, and efficient—where patients
manage their own care confidently, and data drives smarter decisions across the board.
Accelerating Inclusive Transformation
To realise the ambitions of the NHS 10-Year Plan, we must move beyond vision into execution. The time to act is now. Together with NHS leaders, ICS digital teams, and transformation partners, we can deliver inclusive, scalable solutions that empower patients, support staff, and unlock system-wide efficiencies.
Whether reimagining patient access, streamlining clinical workflows, or enabling hybrid care models, low-code platforms and healthcare-specific intelligent automation tools can accelerate the journey. Let’s turn promise into practice—together.
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International.
