Elemental Budget 24 response
Cautious welcome for digital health investment promises.
Less than a few weeks after we learnt that tech budgets will be raided (again) to shore up the NHS' ongoing costs, the Chancellor and former Health Secretary announced a £3.4bn increase in capital funding for NHS digital transformation over three years from 2025/26.
Within this, £2bn is promised to update outdated IT systems. All trusts are to have electronic patient records, MRI scanners upgraded with AI, and transfers of care digitised. A further £1bn is earmarked for admin improvements such as back office automation and £430m for tech to support patient access.