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To transform UK healthcare we have to look in, out and beyond
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To transform UK healthcare we have to look in, out and beyond

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The UK healthcare system is transforming rapidly, driven by technological advancements and evolving patient needs. As the sector expands, both in infrastructure and resources, opportunities arise for organisations across various industries to contribute meaningfully to this changing landscape.

The question for healthcare business leaders is: How can we maximise these transformations to make a valuable impact in UK healthcare?

To understand where organisations can add value, we need to consider three perspectives: looking in at the patient experience, looking outward at the wider healthcare ecosystem, and looking beyond to future innovations driving the sector’s growth and sustainability.

Looking in: patient experience and personalised care

One of the most significant trends transforming healthcare is the rise of personalised care, fuelled by the increasingly sophisticated use of data. Virtual wards and telehealth solutions are being implemented as part of its strategic shift towards integrated care. These wards allow patients to receive hospital-level care at home, supported by remote monitoring technology. This shift towards patient-centred care prioritises the patient’s experience, making it a central focus for new healthcare models.

The GP Patient Survey 2023 highlights a growing emphasis on metrics around patient satisfaction. Yet, for patients to fully embrace these innovations, work must be done. Streamlined processes for accessing help and scheduling appointments, along with support for users with limited digital access or specific needs, are a growing area of focus. Only when these elements are optimised do they ease the strain on the broader healthcare system.

We recently helped Xyla, a leading global healthcare provider, to develop product visions for digital health solutions such as virtual wards and patient flow management systems. By articulating a clear, value-driven vision, we helped Xyla prioritise the patient experience, ensuring that their needs remain at the forefront.

Looking out: the role of private providers in expanding access

As the UK healthcare system evolves, private providers are playing an increasingly prominent role. Private healthcare use is rising, with a 7% increase in private admissions from 2022 to 2023 (Financial Times). Many new entrants are addressing pain points in traditional healthcare, offering services that were once available only in hospitals.

Bupa, one of the biggest global healthcare companies, cares for more than 50 million customers. Bupa’s flexible offerings, such as pay-as-you-go healthcare and subscription models, provide affordable options for people without private coverage, improving access to faster healthcare support. We worked with Bupa to look at customer needs and develop products and services to meet those needs, including rethinking new patient onboarding experiences and developing a new wellbeing proposition, now called the Workplace Mental Health Advantage.

Balancing private and public involvement is complex, with concerns about more doctors moving into the private sector, but successful partnerships can expand access and help meet growing demand. Mapping the dynamically evolving ecosystems is crucial to identifying opportunities for shared responsibilities and ensuring patient needs are met efficiently and responsibly.

Looking beyond: a holistic approach to health

As the UK’s population ages, the future of healthcare will increasingly focus on long-term care, preventative measures and healthy living to manage this demographic shift effectively. The NHS long-term plan emphasises the need for preventative care, where education and early interventions can improve health outcomes and reduce the need for hospital care.

Our CEO, Jenny Burns, recently attended the Fast Company Innovation festival in New York. One of the insights from a panel talk on the Future of Food, shared by Instacart’s Dani Dudeck, was ‘food as medicine’ as a transformative concept for the food and healthcare industries. This vision reimagines patient recovery by prescribing customised, ultra-healthy meals in the same manner as pharmaceutical treatments. Patients would return home from the hospital to find tailored, nutrient-rich meals waiting for them, designed to help healing and long-term health.

This reflects a broader trend in healthcare focused on preventative and personalised care, as we’ve discussed above: from AI-powered diagnostics to the expansion of telehealth and the rise in mental health and wellbeing platforms.

A recent report from the Centre for Mental Health equates the economic burden of mental ill health to twice the entire NHS budget in 2022 (£153bn), likening its impact to that of a pandemic every year. To build a resilient healthcare system, sustainability practices must be integrated, linking health, wellbeing and environmental factors to ensure a healthier, more sustainable future.

The role of the private sector

By looking in, out and beyond, healthcare business leaders can better understand the opportunities. Whether it’s developing personalised digital health solutions or forming partnerships with established providers, the private sector can bring agility and innovation to a system that needs both. By focusing on patient experience, improving access and supporting holistic health approaches, businesses have a unique chance to drive change in UK healthcare.

To find out more about our work with global healthcare businesses and the NHS, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Written by Toby de Belder and Maria Zielinska.
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