Reflections on Lord Darzi’s Report and the Role of Technology in Healthcare Transformation

Lord Darzi’s report into the State of the NHS in England (published 12^th Sept) outlines the current parlous state of NHS services, and deterioration over the previous decade and proposes several areas of focus. It has garnered headlines around the need for reform, with the Secretary of State already responding saying three key shifts are needed: a move from hospital to community care; from analogue to digital; and from treating sickness to preventing it. What hasn’t been focused on is the many mentions of innovation and opportunities to use technology to improve care spread throughout the report. Here HIN South London CEO Dr Rishi Das-Gupta outlines why the report supports our work in health innovation because of the difference it makes to patients.

For anyone who works in the health service, or has loved ones who do and/or cared for by the service, I do not think the content of Lord Darzi’s report provided any massive surprises. However, it is sobering to see the progressive decline across a variety of performance and quality metrics presented in one document. Particularly, worrying is that these declines have impacted those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnic minorities more than others. This raises choices about how we design services accessible for all and whether we provide or target services to narrow this gap.

For me the key is the ‘what next’ and while it is no doubt upsetting to see where the NHS is, I was find a reason for hope and optimism from our experience supporting innovation and tech-driven service change in the NHS. Innovation to address these challenges is possible, and indeed can be fulfilling for staff and patients alike.

The report emphasizes the role of innovation in improving the sustainability and performance of the NHS, highlighting four key areas.

Medium-Term Sustainability

Lord Darzi’s report argues that, despite short-term pressures like long waiting lists and tight finances, innovation is essential for the NHS’s long-term sustainability. It recognizes that while research and innovation are universally seen as important, they have often been deprioritised. Investing in innovative solutions, however, can help the NHS become more sustainable in the medium term. We have a proven track record of helping innovations that can make a difference – our award-winning DigitalHealth.London Accelerator has supported 160 companies to date and one cohort resulted in 181 contracts secured. We also run programmes helping NHS innovators, as well as founders from diverse backgrounds, and areas which need more focus; this is why we are running the second cohort of the national Accelerating FemTech programme, aimed at solutions for women’s health, and the national Mindset programme which is looking at how immersive technology can address mental health and wellbeing.

Virtual Wards and Digital Models

Examples of positive innovation already visible are mentioned in the report including general practice, where some GPs have shifted towards a digital care model and in some innovations such as virtual wards. We have supported London’s virtual wards with procurement specifications, pathway mapping and evaluations. Four key areas of benefit identified from our work for NHSE London and London ICBS on virtual wards:

In primary care, the pan-London Primary Care AI and Automation Grants Scheme we ran found approximately 18,000 online new patient GP registrations were validated and automatically uploaded while approx. 20,000 ‘normal’ pathology results were automatically reviewed and filed.

Innovations such as these have the potential to improve access to care, reduce hospital pressures, and offer alternative ways to manage patients outside of traditional hospital settings.

Technology and AI

The report identifies that technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and digital systems, holds great promise for transforming healthcare delivery. However, the NHS has not yet fully embraced technology’s potential. While there are examples of impactful innovations, many remain small-scale. The report calls for a significant "tilt towards technology" to unlock productivity, reduce administrative burdens, and enable predictive and preventive care. We are already working in AI, having spotted its potential which was why we brought 22 experts together for our roundtable on Ambient Voice Technology which has led to a London-wide pilot taking place now, looking at the productivity benefits it could bring to staff.

The remaining challenge to use data to improve care

Although the NHS has invested in data platforms like the Federated Data Platform and developed apps to improve care, the report points out that much of the NHS’s potential for innovation remains untapped, particularly in areas like data-sharing and AI. There is also a noted gap in IT investments for non-hospital services, which could benefit from technologies to enhance care quality and efficiency. London has engaged the public to establish the best mechanism to share data across our health system and the uses to which we each consent to data sharing. Alongside this, we have the OneLondon programme which, when complete, will position us as a leader in data-driven care. Completing this work and sharing what we learn while doing it should be an ongoing priority.

In summary, while the NHS is making strides in digital transformation, much more can be done to fully realize the potential of innovation to make the service sustainable and efficient in the long run. ‘Fixing’ the service and being able to provide better care to patients can be really satisfying for staff and will help address many of the issues highlighted. We have an established track record in supporting our ICSs, GPs, hospitals, care homes and community providers to introduce, test and spread adoptions. This includes national programmes which we have spread and adapted across south London, such as the national hypertension and lipids programme which has prevented 350 heart attacks and 282 strokes in south London alone, to south London innovations which we have supported to spread nationally such the FREED early intervention eating disorder programme which concluded with 2,722 patients receiving treatment, with £12.1m NHS cost savings.

Innovation is the way to move the NHS forward. Lord Darzi’s report has clearly spelt out why doing the same things in the same ways is no longer an option for our NHS. Innovation is the vehicle for transforming it, and our expertise can help drive this.