In a speech at Unison’s 2025 National Health Care Conference, Wes Streeting focused on digital leadership in social care, with an aim to train social care leaders to introduce technologies.
“We will harness the full potential of technology to transform social care, helping people to live independently in their own homes and improving the quality of care,” Streeting said. “By investing in skills training for care workers, introducing a Fair Pay Agreement, and providing more opportunities for career progression, we will help retain the incredible professionals we need.”
Whilst awarding organisations can decide which technologies to explore, according to the Level 5 Digital Leadership Qualification criteria, learning should focus on three key areas. This includes understanding the national context around the use of tech and data in the delivery of care, benefits of tech and data for quality of care, and the role of data protection, safeguarding and ethical practice when using tech.
On the scheme, learners should also understand the legal requirements and governance of data within their organisation, how to plan and assess new tech for a care setting, how external relationships influence the delivery of tech, the challenges around tech use in a care setting, and how to lead a positive digital learning environment to promote opportunities for staff to build their digital skills.
Examples of technologies outlined in the criteria include wearables, smart home technologies, communication tools, GPS tracking, apps, digital care records, diagnostic tools, electronic care plans, AI and robotics.
Digital skills and workforce transformation across the NHS
For an HTN Now panel discussion in November, we were joined by a group of experts to discuss digital workforce education and training. This included sharing examples of educational programmes to support digital initiatives, as well as best practices for engaging the workforce in digital education and tech. To form our panel, we welcomed George Anibaba, senior innovation manager at Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex, as well as Geoff Petrie, digital training manager and David Holland, deputy CCIO for Allied Health Professionals, both from Leeds Teaching Hospitals.
A panel discussion on workforce transformation from February featured experts including Dr Penny Kechagioglou, CCIO and deputy CMO at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust; Stuart Dures, digital skills development manager at Greater Manchester Mental Health; Dan Chilcott, client enablement director at Patchwork Health; and Sally Mole, senior digital programme manager – digital portfolio delivery team at The Dudley Group. Our panellists considered some of the key determinants of successful NHS workforce transformation, looking at how best to drive buy-in and support the workforce, noting challenges and barriers to transformation.
Earlier this year, the Heart and Lung Centre at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust received funding for the development of a national AI training programme. The heart support group led by the cardiac rehabilitation team at UHNM secured the funding from the British Heart Foundation, with the aim to help equip healthcare scientists with the “knowledge and skills needed to be able to use AI when caring for patients”.
