The NHS is under immense pressure, with increasing demand and workforce challenges affecting patient care. One area where significant improvement can be made is the adoption of healthcare-specific digital tools that enhance communication, collaboration, patient safety and patient flow. These tools are not just a luxury – they are essential for the efficient delivery of care.
A Guardian article highlighted the severity of the situation, revealing that “ambulances spent 1,641,522 hours waiting outside A&E to hand over patients in the year to November 2024”. The same article claims that “paramedics in England are unable to respond to 100,000 urgent 999 calls every month because they are stuck outside hospitals waiting to hand over patients”. Such statistics emphasise the urgent need for solutions that can help reduce bottlenecks and improve patient flow in emergency settings.
Hospitals have already seen the benefits of adopting digital tools. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, for example, implemented a real-time tracking system that reduced the time it takes to transfer a patient – freeing up 1,167 hours of bed capacity every month. This not only sped up patient flow but also reduced the average length of stay. These are tangible improvements that can make a real difference to patient care and resource management.
Digital technologies, including electronic prescribing systems and artificial intelligence (AI), are playing a significant role in enhancing patient safety within the NHS. Electronic prescribing systems have been shown to reduce medication errors and adverse drug events, improving patient outcomes. For instance, evidence suggests that these systems can cut medication errors by up to 50% in certain hospital settings, contributing to safer and more efficient healthcare delivery1,4. Additionally, electronic prescribing reduces administrative burdens, ensures prescriptions are trackable and enhances convenience for patients5.
AI tools are increasingly being deployed across the NHS to support clinical decision-making and improve diagnostic accuracy. AI applications include analysing medical images for conditions such as cancer, strokes and heart disease, as well as predicting risks for chronic illnesses. These tools enable faster diagnoses and treatment interventions, reducing the likelihood of misdiagnosis and improving patient outcomes3,6. For example, AI-powered stroke diagnostic tools have been rolled out across NHS stroke networks to expedite care and reduce disability rates3.
The integration of these technologies into routine practice is transforming healthcare delivery by reducing preventable harms, optimising workflows and enhancing communication between patients and providers. These advancements align with NHS goals to leverage innovation for safer and more efficient care2,6.
However, despite these promising developments, many NHS trusts are failing to fully harness the potential of digital tools. The report ‘Electronic patient records: Why the NHS urgently needs a strategy to reap the benefits’, published on 9 April 2025, found that while 90% of NHS trusts now have an EPR system in place, many are not using them to meaningfully improve care quality, staff experience or productivity. Instead, some trusts treat EPR systems as “essentially digital notebooks,” neglecting more advanced capabilities like AI that could significantly enhance clinical decision-making and system performance. The report underscores this issue by stating: “Simply ‘digitising paper’ doesn’t change the way we deliver care”.
As healthcare professionals, it’s crucial that we advocate for the adoption of these tools within our trusts. Digital tools aren’t just about improving efficiency – they are key to safeguarding patient lives and ensuring the NHS can meet the growing demand for services. Now is the time to push for change.
Additional sources
1 https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/research/impact-of-electronic-prescribing-on-patient-safety-in-hospitals-implications-for-the-uk
2 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7979747/
3 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/21-million-to-roll-out-artificial-intelligence-across-the-nhs
4 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(19)30158-X/fulltext
5 https://www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r122
6 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6233x9k4dlo
