5 key technologies driving healthcare efficiency in 2025

As outlined in the Elective Care Reform Plan, the NHS is continuing to focus on:

• Empowering patients by giving them more choice and control
• Reforming delivery by working more productively and consistently
• Delivering care in the right place to ensure patients receive care in the right setting
• Aligning funding, performance oversight and delivery standards

We explore the tech advancements that can help the NHS achieve these outcomes and address the unique challenges of the sector, from reducing the administrative burden to ensuring seamless communication and patient safety.

Telehealth and remote monitoring have become integral to NHS trusts, enabling flexible and accessible patient care while easing pressures on hospitals.

Cloud communication tools allow healthcare providers to offer consultations remotely, reducing the need for in-person visits and minimising wait times.

Meanwhile, remote monitoring devices connected through the cloud allow providers to track patients’ vital signs and receive alerts if intervention is required.

Royal Blackburn Hospital connects specialist stroke consultants to patients remotely through a secure video link, made possible by our high-speed fibre-optic network. This helps sustain high standards of care by enabling quick and easy communication.

Telehealth is supporting elective care reform by helping trusts deliver care in the right place, making things more convenient for patients.

Examples of what you can achieve:

• Reduced travel for patients and lower operational costs for hospitals
• Increased access to specialist care, especially in remote areas
• Enhanced patient satisfaction and safety through constant monitoring

Cloud computing offers NHS trusts secure, scalable storage for massive amounts of patient data, allowing staff to access information on demand across different locations.

This shift is vital for driving efficiency in healthcare and data-driven decision-making, as cloud-based data can be analysed in real-time to improve patient outcomes.

The cloud facilitates advanced analytics, making it easier to get insight from complex health data.

For instance, real-time analytics enable NHS trusts to monitor bed occupancy rates, predict staffing needs and identify at-risk patients sooner, resulting in faster, more-informed care decisions.

Cloud solutions also benefit from rigorous data protection measures including encryption, backup and recovery.

Examples of what you can achieve:

• Centralised access to patient data, enhancing collaboration between teams
• Improved decision-making through real-time analytics
• Increased data security and reduced risk of data loss

A reliable, secure network infrastructure is essential as more healthcare operations move online.

Software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) provides NHS trusts with robust connectivity, enabling seamless access to cloud-based applications across multiple locations.

This type of network optimises bandwidth usage, prioritising critical applications and improving both performance and security.

Our SD-WAN solution helped them boost patient care, improve reliability and increase flexibility, delivering: The team at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust challenged us to help them transition to a new system without skipping a beat in patient care.

Our solution helped them boost patient care, improve reliability and increase flexibility, delivering:

• A tenfold improvement in network speed and resilience
• Reduced P1 outages, from one or two a week to just one a year
• Significant cost savings

NHS organisations can also get an idea of the return on SD-WAN investment before they buy from us, enabling them to check out the benefits before making the switch.

Examples of what you can achieve:

• Boosted network performance and streamlined IT management
• Greater flexibility in connecting remote sites and clinics
• Strengthened data security with integrated encryption and access controls

Healthcare interoperability remains a crucial goal as it allows data to flow seamlessly between different systems, departments and NHS facilities.

By connecting systems, interoperability improves care coordination and ensures healthcare providers have comprehensive patient information at their fingertips. This is especially valuable in integrated care systems, where continuity and collaboration are essential.

Technologies supporting interoperability include health information exchange (HIE) platforms that securely share data between organisations and application programming interfaces (APIs) that enable software systems to communicate directly.

Standards like Health Level 7 (HL7) and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) help ensure data sharing consistency.

Cloud communication tools can facilitate these connections by supporting HIE platforms and real-time data exchange.

Examples of what you can achieve:

• Enhanced continuity of care across departments and facilities
• Reduced duplication of tests and procedures, saving time and resources
• Improved patient safety and care outcomes by providing full patient histories

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are transforming diagnostics and personalised treatment planning, allowing NHS organisations to interpret large datasets quickly and accurately.

AI algorithms can support clinicians by predicting patient outcomes and tailoring treatment plans to individual needs. In doing so, AI can reduce the potential for human error and accelerate treatment.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde exemplifies this shift, having implemented AI-assisted computed tomography (CT) imaging to detect head injuries more efficiently. This AI-based approach helps them prioritise urgent cases, reducing patient wait times and optimising the allocation of resources.

As AI technology advances, its role in the NHS will continue to grow, providing improvements in both operational efficiency and patient care.

Examples of what you can achieve:

• Faster and more accurate diagnostics for timely intervention
• Personalised treatment plans for better patient outcomes
• Reduced clinician workload, allowing for better resource allocation

As NHS trusts move towards a future focused on efficiency and patient care, these technologies are proving instrumental in transforming the delivery of healthcare.

We’re dedicated to supporting this journey, providing NHS organisations with secure connectivity and communication services that help address current challenges and prepare for the future.

Whether through telehealth solutions, data analytics, SD-WAN connectivity or interoperable systems, NHS organisations can look forward to a more efficient and connected approach to healthcare.

With the right technology partners, NHS trusts will be ready to deliver exceptional care in 2025 and beyond.

Want to know more about our connectivity solutions for the health sector ?

Call 0800 955 5590 or fill in the form below.