When Technology Works for Patients, Not Just Strategies

Author: Elizabeth Perkins, Director of Healthcare, Canon UK

How better information management and partnerships support NHS digital transformation, reducing admin and improving patient care

Digital Transformation in the NHS

The NHS is undergoing one of the most significant transformation periods in its history. The ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, from interoperability to digitised pathways and the increasing use of AI, signal a decisive shift towards a more connected, intelligence‑driven health service.

Although the destination is clear, the path to sustainable progress remains challenging. Technology alone cannot resolve the operational pressures facing trusts. Real transformation depends on understanding how information moves across an organisation and how systems, people and processes can be aligned.

The reality is that digital transformation is as much about information strategy as it is about digital tools. Without addressing how information is captured, understood, governed and shared, new technologies cannot deliver their full value. For the NHS, where data underpins every aspect of care and administrative delivery, this alignment is essential.

Foundations for effective NHS information flow

Reduce admin pressures

Cut manual tasks by improving how data is captured and managed across workflows.

Break data silos

Connect systems to enable consistent, real-time access to information.

Strengthen governance

Ensure secure, compliant data handling with clear and consistent processes.

Unlock clinical capacity

Free up staff time for patient care by improving information flow across teams.

The hidden challenge: Fragmented information flows

Despite substantial investment and enthusiasm for digital innovation, many NHS organisations continue to struggle with inefficient workflows, legacy technology and inconsistent access to information. Clinicians still spend a significant proportion of their time on administrative tasks (up to a third of their working hours1) reducing the time available for direct patient care. This is not simply a productivity issue; it limits system-wide capacity at a time when demand continues to rise.

Much of this burden stems from information fragmentation. Paper and digital workflows often run in parallel. Data is captured differently across departments. Information governance processes vary, creating bottlenecks at the points where verification, access or storage is required. These challenges slow decision‑making, reduce accuracy and reinforce operational silos. Digital ambition cannot translate into real transformation unless these underlying issues are addressed.

Unlocking capacity through effective information management

We see the greatest progress when trusts focus on strengthening the foundations of their information lifecycle: how data enters the organisation, how it is secured, how easily it can be accessed, and how seamlessly it flows between clinical and administrative teams. When these foundations are strong, digital tools deliver faster, more consistent and more measurable benefits.

For the last five decades, we’ve played a key role in helping NHS organisations optimise information processes end to end:
  • Improving data capture reduces the volume of manual administrative tasks required;
  • Strengthening information governance enhances security and compliance;
  • Ensuring that staff can access information when they need it supports better decision-making.

When these essential elements are aligned, organisations experience increased resilience, greater efficiency, and more capacity to focus on patient care ultimately strengthening their ability to shape NHS service delivery.

Why sustainable change requires long-term partners

For NHS organisations, delivering transformation at scale is challenging. Budget constraints, workforce pressures and complex legacy systems make it difficult to deploy solutions quickly or consistently. This is why long-term partnerships are essential. True transformation requires continuity and support over time, not one‑off technology deployments.

Through collaborating with different angles of the sector, we have seen that combining technical expertise with deep NHS operational understanding is essential. Long‑term partners can help trusts implement change gradually, provide ongoing oversight and ensure that solutions adapt as demands evolve. They also support the cultural and procedural changes necessary to embed new ways of working. Technology becomes effective when it is introduced with empathy, continuity and a genuine understanding of frontline reality.

A connected ecosystem across the patient journey

Canon’s broader healthcare ecosystem, including Canon Medical, Canon Medical Research and AXIS - provides a unique opportunity to support trusts across the full patient journey. Our capabilities span diagnostic imaging, clinical research, laboratory workflows, ward-based care and information management. This end‑to‑end presence gives us insight into how data moves across diverse clinical and administrative environments, informing solutions that are intuitive, secure and aligned to real-world practice.

A future built on resilient, human-centred information ecosystems

“Real digital progress is not achieved through technology alone. It requires long‑term partners who understand the NHS, who work with trusts over time, and who help translate strategy into practical, sustainable change. At Canon, we are committed to supporting organisations in creating future‑proof and resilient information ecosystems that truly empower clinical and administrative teams.” — Elizabeth Perkins, Director of Healthcare, Canon UK

As the NHS continues its digital evolution, the strength of its information ecosystem will determine the pace and impact of change. By focusing on sustainable partnerships, strong information foundations and solutions designed around the needs of healthcare professionals, the NHS can build a digitally enabled future that improves outcomes, strengthens resilience and supports the workforce for the decade ahead.

Public Sector Frameworks

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  1. Dowland, L. & McNally, S. (2025) Doctors' Assistants: The Proven Solution to NHS Administrative Burden. Rapid response to: Administrative overload harms patient care. BMJ, 390:r1747. (Accessed: 25 March 2026).

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