What does the 10 year health plan mean for digital?

The government’s 10 year health plan for the NHS includes several new policies around digital and technology, including the roll out of an NHS App tool which will read real-time data from wearables, biometric sensors or smart devices.

The highly anticipated plan was published on 3 July 2025, setting out an ambition for the NHS to be ‘digital by default’.

“This Plan will take the NHS from the 20^th century technological laggard it is today, to the 21^st century leader it has the potential to be,” the government said.

Turning the NHS App into a ‘world-leading tool for patient choice’

By 2028 the NHS App is planned to be “a full front door to the entire NHS” where patients will have “a doctor in their pocket”.

Functionality will be added to the app in every subsequent year of the plan, including a ‘My Health’ tool will connect to provide personal health advice based on relevant NHS data such as test results and data from wearables such as step count, heart rate and sleep quality, to provide personal health advice.

The ‘My NHS GP tool will “provide a single, trusted source of instant advice for patients who need non-urgent care, available 24/7”.

It will use AI algorithms to take a patient’s descriptions of their worries or symptoms, ask follow-up questions and provide personalised guidance.

Also the ‘My Children’ tool will provide a digitised ‘red book’ where parents can get advice and support for their child.

Dame Rachel de Souza, children’s commissioner, said: “I have long called for a child’s ‘red book’ to be digitised, so this is a really welcome move.

“Taken with plans currently going through Parliament to develop a unique childhood identifier, will vastly improve how we protect and care for the most vulnerable children, with fewer in danger of falling through gaps in services.”

The government has also made announcements around AI-driven mental health support and the ‘My Companion’ AI tool.

Julian David, chief executive at techUK welcomed the plan as “a landmark moment in the digital transformation of the NHS”.

“The enhanced NHS App marks a bold step forward in putting citizens at the centre of their care, empowering patients with the same ease, accessibility and control we expect from modern digital services,” David said.

Single Patient Record to be rolled out in maternity care first

The plan states that a single patient record (SPR) “will bring together all a patient’s medical records into one place” and operate as “a patient passport” ensuring that patients get NHS care no matter where they are.

Subject to parliamentary time, the ambition is that from 2028 patients will be able to view the SPR on the NHS App. It will be rolled out in maternity care first.

“We know from both evidence and our engagement that experiences of maternity care are not good enough, and that mothers’ preferences are frequently ignored.

“The SPR will ensure maternity teams have all the information they need about previous consultations, medical history and stated preferences, helping them provide genuinely high-quality, personalised care,” it says.

The legal framework will be reformed to allow for health data to be used to improve the NHS and for research that benefits its patients – including, through the Health Data Research Service announced in April 2025.

Embracing ambient AI technology

The plan says that with some GP practices already ambient AI technologies, “the problem is not one of adoption but of scale”.

To accelerate this, in 2026 and 2027 the government says it will “undertake a framework procurement process that can be accessed by all NHS organisations and provide support to GPs and trusts, so they can adopt this technology safely”.

A fully digitally enabled Neighbourhood Health Service

By 2023 the government will fully digitally enable the planned Neighbourhood Health Service to incorporate genomic data, digital tools and technology.

The focus is on prevention, highlighting that care should happen “as locally as it can: digitally by default, in a patient’s home, if possible, in a neighbourhood’s health centre when needed, in a hospital if necessary”.

Value-based procurement guidance for digital devices and products

The government will streamline procurement and adoption of technology and invest in research and development infrastructure through the introduction of  an ‘innovator passport’ to allow technology to be more easily rolled in the NHS.  Value-based procurement guidance for devices and digital products will also be launched.