The recently published 10 Year Health Plan for England sets out a bold ambition to shift the NHS from analogue to digital – creating a more seamless, accessible and efficient healthcare system. Across the North East and Yorkshire, that transformation is underway, with services already using technology to improve care for patients.

From artificial intelligence tools reducing diagnostic workloads to robotic surgery streamlining complex procedures – digital technologies are freeing up clinicians to focus on care where it’s needed most, supporting better outcomes and enabling a more efficient NHS.

The plan also recognises the importance of making services easier to access for everyone. From new digital phone systems simplifying contact with GP practices to the NHS App enabling appointment bookings, test result checks and prescription management – patients are now finding it more convenient to get the support they need, when they need it.

These digital innovations reflect the core ambitions of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to deliver more proactive, personalised and joined-up care while also helping to reduce health inequalities through better access and smarter use of data.

Stephen Firman, Regional Director of Digital Transformation in the North East and Yorkshire, said:

“By shifting from analogue to digital, we can improve patient experiences, make it easier for staff, predict health outcomes and identify disease more accurately.

“Investing in technology and ensuring our workforce are ready to work and thrive in a more digital space will provide more convenient care to patients, more accurate procedures, and predict better health outcomes.”

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust is piloting a new digital Careology app for cancer patients. The app gives patients an easy way to track symptoms and side effects, manage their medications, and receive appointment reminders using their own device.

Caroline Salt, Lead Cancer Nurse at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“This app is about patients becoming more empowered and being able to have information that is safe, reliable and validated – clinical information at the touch of the finger via the app.”

Elsewhere, the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT) is leading the national rollout of a powerful new AI chest X-ray solution designed to speed up diagnoses of serious conditions, including lung cancer and improve patient outcomes.

Funded through NHS England’s AI Diagnostics Fund, the software can detect up to 124 potential findings in under a minute, providing clinicians with annotated images to support quicker and more accurate decision-making.

Dr Heshan Panditaratne, Consultant Radiologist and Radiology Discrepancy Lead at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“Each year, around 400,000 chest X-rays are taken across our trusts. With AI support, we can prioritise urgent cases, make decisions more confidently, and intervene earlier, especially in conditions like lung cancer, where early diagnosis can increase survival rates.

“This isn’t just about innovation, it’s about transforming how we work”.

The shift to digital is changing how people interact with the health service and this is just the beginning. As technology continues to evolve, the NHS App will play an even greater role in helping people manage their care, while new innovations will offer smarter, more personalised support.

To learn more about how the North East and Yorkshire region is embracing this bold and ambitious new course for the NHS, visit our regional website.