University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) published its latest digital strategy in July, placing a focus on smart buildings, EPR development, evaluating its current digital maturity, understanding areas to invest in and AI integration. “The future state of the trust is set to improve the digital capabilities immensely following the roll out of the Epic EPR,” UHP notes.
Since its last digital strategy was published in 2021, the trust outlines successes including the One Devon EPR programme, “major” software implementations in the ED and maternity departments, a move to Microsoft Office 365, network upgrades, and a renewed drive toward cyber security.
“We have made huge strides to improve the digital capabilities of the trust,” UHP shares. “From the foundations of our core infrastructure to the national approval of the EPR programme, we strive to deliver excellent care and have brilliant staff. We know our weakness is in the disparate systems and lack of interoperability and the One Devon EPR programme is a necessary step to delivery joined up information across specialties, communities and the region.”
The new strategy is aligned with NHSE’s What Good Looks Like (WGLL) framework, prioritises operational efficiency and clinical safety, and looks to “fully utilise” the capabilities of key strategic investments such as the trust’s Epic EPR. Digital solutions will be co-designed, access will be simplified through the NHS App and the MyChart patient portal, staff will be empowered to embrace new tech and innovation, and “as much as possible” will be shared with national and system partners across data, hardware, software, and digital services.
The trust commits to supporting a defined set of devices and software to ensure that its technology offers the best possible service, assessing new products for cyber security risk and clinical requirements prior to their introduction, reviewing new use cases, and updating underlying tech and networking to deliver responsive, secure, and reliable resource. A “digital workplace” featuring joined-up asset tracking, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, 3D modelling, and digital wayfinding, will be created for staff, who will be supported in developing their digital literacy and capabilities to use new tech with confidence.
For patients, UHP commits to working with local partners to tackle digital exclusion and provide communities with access to devices and connectivity, along with support for using tools and resources. Through the NHS App and Epic’s MyChart mobile app, patients will be able to view and interact with their health data. As well as managing their health, this “digital front door” will offer support for remote monitoring and integration with telehealth services, allowing access to virtual consultations. Further functionality will be introduced in line with the plans for the NHS App as part of the NHS’s 10-Year Health Plan, and a review is to take place around wearable devices. Clinical safety will also be improved using automated checks on medications, allergies, and past interventions, the trust added.
Work with Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to develop a Devon-wide EPR using Epic, will mean information recorded in a singular department or specialty will be available across the system. 23 individual systems are initially being replaced by Epic.
The trust next turns to innovation, where it highlights the future of AI integration, committing to establishing frameworks to prioritise patient and data safety, and to utilise AI technologies to enhance operational efficiencies and patient care. As part of this, UHP will support the development and adoption of new tools, technologies, and processes, including in teledermatology and cancer care. AI will help enhance EPR functionality, introducing smart scheduling to optimise resource allocation and waiting times, as well as utilising Ambient AI in consultations. “Data-Driven Insights, powered by AI, will allow us to identify trends, predict outcomes, and make more informed decisions, ultimately improving patient outcomes and operational efficiency,” the trust adds.
Collaboration with the trust’s estates department on the concept of smart buildings aims to ensure that all new buildings, including the Future Hospitals Phase 1 and Smart Ward initiatives, are equipped with “cutting-edge digital solutions”. Smart lighting systems, sensors that monitor patient activity, and falls detection and prediction technologies, will be some of the opportunities explored in this regard, along with centralised asset tracking and real-time patient location services. The trust notes plans to create a digital twin of buildings with a hope to allow for the simulation and optimisation of facility management.
Strategic developments from across the NHS
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has published an AI Strategy, outlining current and future AI work along with plans for benefits realisation, implementation, AI workforce development, infrastructure and data architecture. Driving the transformation are four key themes: enhancing children and young people centred care; empowering colleagues and freeing up time using intelligent automation, AI assistants, and smarter workflows; transforming outcomes for children and young people by delivering precision care through AI-optimised pathways, predictive analytics, and remote monitoring tools; and revolutionising paediatric diagnostics with “cutting edge” innovation.
Innovation and investments in digital, tech, and data are planned to improve patient outcomes as part of East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s strategy for 2025-2030. Broken down into four parts, the trust’s strategy focuses on delivering better care for patients, supporting its workforce to deliver “the best care they can every day”, working with partners to get patients to the best care first time, and building a sustainable service model responsive to patient needs.
An update on Scotland’s data strategy for health and social care has shared key achievements from 2024/25 and priorities for 2025/26. The update highlights the launch of the first iteration of the digital front door in NHS Lanarkshire in December 2025, plans to develop an interactive map for data ethics, a pause in GP IT system transition, work on the primary care data and intelligence platform, and an upcoming policy framework for the use of AI in health and social care.
South West London ICB’s latest Cyber Security Strategy has set out six objectives to be achieved by 2030: strengthening governance, managing risk, understanding critical systems and suppliers, prevention and resilience, detecting and responding to threats and incidents, and embedding cyber awareness and culture.
