The UK Government’s newly unveiled NHS 10-Year Plan is a bold and timely vision for the future of healthcare. Centred around three major “shifts”—from sickness to prevention, from hospital-centric to community-based care, and from analogue to digital—the Plan lays the groundwork for a more resilient and patient-focused NHS. At Cisco, we fully support this vision and are proud of our ongoing work, including as part of the Lister Alliance, to help make this vision a reality.
Of the three shifts, the transition from analogue to digital is perhaps the most foundational. A digital-first NHS is the enabler of everything else—streamlining operations, unlocking efficiencies, and delivering more responsive, personalised care. Across the UK, Cisco is working with NHS trusts to help drive this shift.
Take, for example, our collaboration in Buckinghamshire, where we’ve supported the deployment of advanced digital infrastructure and technology to improve operational efficiency and the patient experience. Another exciting project is to use way finding to improve the patient experience. Imagine arriving at a hospital for an appointment and being able to use your phone to navigate directly to the right department, receive real-time notifications, and access important documents—all in one place. These innovations reduce friction in the patient journey and ease pressure for patients and staff alike.
Technology is also central to the other shifts: bringing care closer to home and shifting focus from treatment to prevention. Cisco is already demonstrating where technology can accelerate these objectives. Remote monitoring, predictive analytics, and wearable devices empower patients and healthcare providers to identify and address health concerns before they escalate.
Through the Lister Alliance, Cisco is contributing to a pioneering project in Plymouth that delivers remote care to elderly patients. By equipping individuals with connected devices and monitoring tools, clinicians can provide timely, proactive care in the comfort of patients’ homes—reducing hospital admissions and addressing broader challenges like social isolation and loneliness. With the rollout of new Neighbourhood Health Services, these kinds of digital-first models can scale further, delivering better outcomes and a more sustainable system.
While the NHS 10-Year Plan is ambitious, it is achievable if we act and work together. The path forward requires tackling legacy infrastructure, bridging digital skills gaps, and strengthening cybersecurity across the whole system.
Industry must step up and play its part by helping to deliver cutting-edge tech solutions and helping to build the digital capabilities of the NHS workforce. At Cisco, we are committed to these efforts, from our Networking Academy to our investments in cybersecurity, we are helping to secure and modernise critical healthcare systems.
As the Darzi Review made clear, the challenges facing the NHS are great, but so too are the opportunities. By embracing digital transformation and working collaboratively across government, industry, and the NHS workforce, we can turn the vision of the 10-Year Plan into a reality. Together, we can build a health service that is fit for today and ready to meet the demands of tomorrow.
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