Ming Tang, Chief Digital and Information Officer at NHS England, outlines vision for patient empowerment and workforce transformation through technology & AI 

Ming Tang has outlined an ambitious vision for how technology and AI will revolutionise healthcare delivery, promising to fundamentally change the relationship between patients and the NHS while delivering better outcomes for both staff and patients. 

Speaking on Newcross Healthcare's Voices of Care podcast with host Suhail Mirza, Tang detailed how the NHS 10 Year Health Plan's technological transformation represents "the golden thread" running through all healthcare improvements, describing it as part of "the fight back against disease." 

PATIENT EMPOWERMENT AT THE HEART OF TRANSFORMATION 
The conversation revealed how digital innovation will place patients at the centre of their healthcare journey, with the NHS App serving as the "digital front door" to services. 

"What's really appealing to me at the moment is that we can actually use technology in a systematic way to transform the way that we deliver services; but also transform the relationship between the public and the NHS, which is a really difficult thing to do," Tang explained. 

The NHS App will enable patients to access services in a "24/7 way “ rather than only during office hours, it will also serve as "a trusted source of information about your health" - increasingly important given widespread health misinformation online. 

Critically, Ming added, "the technology enables a very personalised experience" meaning patients will receive more targeted engagement (and treatment) based on their specific conditions and needs.


SINGLE PATIENT RECORD: THE PRODUCTIVITY REVOLUTION 
A cornerstone of the digital transformation is the development of a single patient record, designed to eliminate the disconnected experiences that currently waste NHS resources and frustrate patients. 
"So, the single patient record is borne if we really want to make the NHS patient centric; we have to gather all the information, all the events, all the touch points you have with the NHS," Tang stated. 
The NHS 10 Year Health Plan’s success is predicated on ambitious productivity improvements and the Single Patient Record could be a key to unlock them. 

The productivity benefits are clear Ming argued: "This is a productivity piece because a clinician can't be expected in a 15-minute consultation to read your whole history." The system will present the right information to clinicians at the right time, reducing unnecessary repeat tests and consultations. 

"The aim of this single patient record is to bring it all together", enabling healthcare providers to "help anticipate the next steps in the pathway for a patient, help give them more choices". It will also support the promised efficiencies arising from the use of virtual wards, a key element of the shift away from acute based settings for care delivery envisioned in the 10 Year Health Plan. 

WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION: VOICE TECHNOLOGY AND AI 
The plan addresses one of the pressing productivity problems the NHS’ workforce face currently - administrative burden on clinical staff. With "14% of clinician time" currently spent on data entry, Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) promises to liberate healthcare professionals. 

"AVT shows tremendous benefits and we have to make sure we're setting it up to succeed," Tang emphasised, explaining how the technology will allow clinicians to "spend more time with patients" while automatically improving "data quality and completeness." 

The transformation extends to creating "a platform to support multidisciplinary work" and "more collaborative working," moving away from the current system of "spreadsheets and phone calls." 
Crucially, Tang stressed: "This is only going to survive if it's an augmentation of the human" - emphasising that technology will enhance rather than replace human expertise. 

ADDRESSING DIGITAL INCLUSION CHALLENGES 
Acknowledging that digital transformation must not leave anyone behind, the NHS leader outlined plans for inclusive design of the technological revolution promised in the 10 Year Health Plan: in particular the shift from hospital to community: ”With the neighbourhood teams there's a real opportunity [ for inclusion}. We then need to really take notes from local populations, what they need” 
 
COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS 
The NHS is embracing external partnerships to drive innovation, moving away from traditional procurement approaches. "We have to change the way the NHS is operating with industry," Tang stated, highlighting the importance the 10 Year Health Plan places on making the NHS a driver of economic growth through partnerships with industry.
"You need to build that trust in that relationship upfront. You need the contracts, the commercial arrangements that allow you to have that freedom, but more importantly, to have that, win win investment type conversation." 

SMART HOSPITALS AND ROBOTICS: THE FUTURE VISION 
Looking further toward the future, the discussion touched on the promise of AI-enabled hospitals and robotic surgery, drawing inspiration from international models. 
"Having assisted AI to help the clinicians perform the surgery is much more precise” Tang explained, describing surgical robotics as an area where already "the clinicians are embracing it." 

GENOMICS AND LIFE SCIENCES PARTNERSHIP 
Ming also emphasised the NHS 10 Year Health Plan’s drive to ensure much closer collaboration between the NHS and the UK’s Life Sciences sector: and she highlighted the important clinical benefits that could accrue from this through leveraging the UK's diverse population to support medical research and drug development. 

"The British public are very altruistic. They want their data to be used to get better medicines, better treatments" Tang noted. Tang highlighted that this move would always be undertaken in a way that maintained public trust and gave people real choice in being part of new research. Developments in the NHP App, means patients will be asked “do you want to participate in this trial because it looks like your conditions would be really suitable for that." 

The comprehensive vision represents what Tang called a fundamental shift: "I'm really passionate as the technology advances, we're actually making people's lives easier; for staff and for patients." 
 
Contact: Newcross Healthcare: Priya Patel, Marketing Manager

About the Voice of Care Podcast
The Voices of Care podcast, a Newcross Healthcare production hosted by Suhail Mirza, offers candid conversations with key figures in health and social care. Created to give a platform to those shaping the future of care, the podcast explores the biggest challenges facing the sector while spotlighting inspiring stories of innovation and leadership. To listen to the full episode and other leaders in the NHS, private healthcare, and social care, visit: www.newcrosshealthcare.com/voicesofcare/ 

About Newcross Healthcare
Newcross Healthcare is one of the UK's leading providers of social and health care services, both within the community and through healthcare staffing. With an extensive network of over 165,000 registered healthcare professionals and nearly three decades of expert experience, Newcross delivers high-quality care solutions that meet the diverse needs of patients and communities. For more information, visit www.newcrosshealthcare.com