The City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council is conducting a market engagement exercise looking at what living well digital assets are currently available on the market, as part of substantial changes being made within the local system.
In the wake of a new local blueprint, wellbeing board changes and a national shift towards preventative care, Bradford Council are now reflecting on their “relationships, community standing, and digital presence”. This includes looking at a range of new digital systems as part of their Living Well initiative, that aim to “address the rising levels of obesity and reduce the high levels of early and preventable deaths within the district”.
They have outlined several key areas of focus, including finding a provider that can help with assessing the usability, accessibility, brand consistency and user-centred design of existing websites, social media accounts and newsletters. The provider should also be able to offer “clear, strategic recommendations for developing a unified, accessible, and user-focused digital communications ecosystem”, inform future planning for a cohesive digital system that supports engagement across diverse and underserved audiences and provide digital health promotion to support behavioural changes.
The digital assets will be used for Bradford’s population of over 530,000, covering the city of Bradford, Keighley and a group of “smaller towns and villages” within the region. The market engagement will be held virtually on 26 August 2025, with interested providers expected to register prior to this date.
In June, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust introduced a collection of virtual access guides through the information platform, AccessAble, providing patients with support on routes and facilities within Bradford Royal Infirmary. Using 360-degree virtual imagery, the system allows users to “explore hospital departments and wards in advance” through an interactive interface, with the aim to support patients, visitors and staff who have “a wide range of access needs”.
A recent interview with Sajid Azeb, chief operating officer and deputy chief executive at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS FT focused on the introduction of their new Command Centre, which is part of an organisational and operational transformation programme within the region, enabling the trust to operate at a higher performance level.
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Airedale NHS Foundation Trust recently issued a pipeline notice, indicating their intent to explore options and opportunities around a patient experience portal and digital by default letters. The contract has an estimated value of £1.7 million and is expected to last from March 2026 to February 2029, with a possible extension to February 2031.
A new five-year digital and data transformation strategy from Bradford Teaching Hospitals (BTHT) launched in May, highlighting the trust’s plans around interoperable care pathways and systems, AI and automation, the modernisation of digital services, and digital literacy. Five strategic areas of activity were outlined, covering people, digital teams and talent; digital standards, leadership and services; data-driven care and decisions; digital and workflow optimisation; and clinical optimisation and interoperability.
