Morning, Wednesday, 16th September 2026
Online
This conference will examine next steps for digital transformation and the adoption of medical technology in the NHS - focusing on proposals to increase productivity, improve access to innovation, and reduce administrative burden through effective use of digital tools and data.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to assess priorities outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan, in particular the shift from analogue to digital with development of a Single Patient Record planned to be introduced through the NHS Modernisation Bill announced in the 2026 King’s Speech, expansion of virtual wards, the use of AI, and improvements to the NHS App as a central interface for care.
With £300m capital investment for NHS technology announced in the 2025 Autumn Budget, £10bn allocated in the 2025 Spending Review and a new National Healthtech Access Programme for digital and medtech tools at NICE, attendees will assess plans for delivery across local systems and mandatory digital maturity improvements, drawing on new guidance in NHS England’s 2025/26 digital strategy and operational planning documents.
Infrastructure & digital systems
Discussion will consider operational and financial implications of digital transformation, as well as early lessons - with recent pilots demonstrating improved throughput, reduced discharge delays, and lower costs in digitally mature trusts. Delegates will examine the development of core infrastructure - including the Federated Data Platform and other national partnerships - alongside investment in platforms that support interoperability, convergence, and digital maturity in integrated care boards and provider organisations.
Attendees will look at development of a digital front door, with plans for NHS Online - aiming to reduce geographical constraints through virtual consultations becoming standard, with discussion looking at building inclusive, joined-up digital systems, options for ensuring access across organisational and geographic boundaries, securing public trust, and engaging communities in system design. Further sessions are expected to consider ways of supporting digital uptake in the workforce and addressing transparency and flexibility concerns raised by data analysts and patient groups.
Regulation, procurement & NHS App development
Sessions will explore strategies to embed digital health and medtech into routine care, including expanded use of virtual therapeutics, automation and robotics, and ambient voice technologies, and the introduction of the HealthStore marketplace for NICE-approved tools. Delegates will consider how these developments interact with regulation, procurement, and data strategy - as well as implications for clinical workflow, adoption, and public confidence. Proposals to broaden NHS App functionality will also be examined, including AI-supported navigation, comparison tools for provider selection, and options to integrate wearable data.
Overview of areas for discussion
- 10 Year Health Plan and Mandate 2025: long-term direction - expectations for the shift to community-based, digital-first, prevention-led care - timelines, governance structures, and potential risks to continuity during transition - concerns from the Public Accounts Committee of the focus on digital transformation to address NHS challenges - development of the NICE National Healthtech Access Programme for medtech and digital tools
- funding and financial strategy: implications of the £10bn Spending Review allocation for digital transformation and £300m capital investment in Autumn Budget - strategies to meet cost-efficiency and productivity targets - considerations around enforcing tighter financial discipline and oversight of systems
- digital system development: priorities for national infrastructure and local deployment - options to modernise legacy tech and ensure interoperability - governance models for system-wide patient records and information sharing - role of NICE in phasing out use of old tech - risks of duplication, delayed uptake, or uneven service quality
- patient access and digital tools: practical steps to expand and enhance the NHS app - potential of a single patient record to improve care continuity and administrative efficiency - AI-supported triage, discharge, and remote monitoring tools
- workforce transformation: impacts of automation and virtual models on service delivery and roles - approaches to improve digital confidence and training in the workforce - implications of planned staffing reductions and agency use targets
- inclusion, public confidence and uptake: strategies to embed equity into digital rollout and adoption - safeguards to build patient trust in digital systems and data use - ensuring access and usability for diverse and digitally excluded communities
- service integration and long-term planning: challenges to join up systems across organisational boundaries - expectations for neighbourhood health centres and digital support for prevention models - planning for medium-term outcomes ahead of the next spending review
- Federated Data Platform: assessment of delivery - flexibility for local system needs - public trust in data use and governance - integration with population health and immunisation tracking
- electronic patient records: support for less digitally mature trusts - acceleration of convergence across ICBs - expected cost, efficiency, and patient safety benefits
- NHS App and patient-facing innovation: aim to manage majority of elective appointments through the app by end of 2025 - new functions for booking, referrals, and wearable integration - role in prevention-led care and patient navigation
