UK’s huge potential is being lost in the wait for ‘silver bullets’ says Bracken
Mike Bracken, a digital leader, emphasized that the UK could be a global leader in digital health service provision if it embraced public-interest technology and moved away from depending on big IT. Speaking at Rewired 2024, Bracken highlighted the need for bold moves to remove barriers to transformation, including discarding legacy IT, changing procurement processes, mandating sharing, and empowering users over consultants and pathways.
Bracken’s experience as the UK’s first government chief data officer and his work at Public Digital underscored the importance of understanding the costs of failure and having a small group of decision-makers empowered to say ‘no’ to initiatives. He pointed to the success of the public-interest technology approach at the Government Digital Service, which saved taxpayers £4.1 billion over four years by moving government agencies to GOV.UK and creating a digital marketplace to reduce reliance on big IT providers.
Despite the challenges facing the NHS in the upcoming general election, there are positive signs of collaboration and data sharing across trusts and integrated care systems. NHS Providers CEO Sir Julian Hartley highlighted the financial difficulties facing the health service and the need for increased funding to fully leverage the benefits of digital technology.
NHS England director of digital prevention services Rachel Hope echoed the call for more collaboration and emphasized the need for a broader vision of transformation beyond just digital initiatives. While additional funding in the spring Budget is a step in the right direction, Hope stressed the importance of investing in services and people, not just technology.
