HETT North 2025: Pioneering Digital Transformation in Healthcare 

Written by Isra El Haddad (Editor)
Event Coverage

On February 26 2025, the Manchester Central Convention Complex hosted the HETT (Healthcare Excellence Through Technology) North 2025 event, bringing together over 1,000 digital health peers, more than 100 expert speakers, and over 50 innovative suppliers. Now in its third year, the event continues to serve as a hub for advancing digital transformation in healthcare, fostering innovation, and redefining patient care across the UK. 

5 Key Focal Points for Healthcare in 2025: 

Dr Avi Mehra, Associate Partner and CSO for Healthcare and Life Sciences at IBM, opened the event by addressing the pressing challenges facing the NHS.  

While the upcoming 10-year plan will be crucial, he stressed that no single strategy alone could solve these deep-rooted issues. He outlined five key developments we can expect this year which promise to shape the future of healthcare.

1. Three big shifts from vision to execution

    • Shift from treating illnesses to prevention. 
    • Move from analog systems to digital solutions. 
    • Transition from hospital-centric care to community-based models.

2. Tackling the NHS’s data and infrastructure challenge

    • Data is the backbone of digital transformation, yet challenges such as interoperability, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data quality, continue to hinder progress.  
    • The Federated Data Platform, officially launched in November 2023, shows promise, however, adoption remains in its early stages.  
    • For patients, the NHS app is evolving to become the digital front door, enhancing citizen access and engagement, potentially paving the way for a long discussed single patient record. 
    • Modernizing physical infrastructure is equally crucial, transitioning hospitals into interconnected ecosystems beyond their physical walls.

3. Embracing AI safely and responsibly in the NHS

    • AI is evolving at breakneck speed, yet its adoption into the NHS remains slow, stalled by structural, cultural, and regulatory hurdles. 
    • Ambient clinical intelligence is emerging with strong potential, with 2025 set to be a pivotal year for real-world implementation. AI-driven optimization in middle and back-office functions offers a clear opportunity to boost efficiency. However, regulations must keep pace to ensure that AI is adopted safely and responsibly. 

4. Streamlining operational efficiency 

    • The NHS continues to face ongoing financial and budgetary pressures, increasing the urgency for better operational efficiency and productivity, 
    • Key priorities for change include reducing elective waiting lists, addressing health inequalities, improving access to primary care, and cutting wait times at emergency departments.  
    • A shift toward a more devolved system is expected, with integrated care partnerships and Trusts having greater freedom and control. 

5. Empowering the NHS workforce as a foundation for development

    • Digital transformation won’t occur without a truly supported and empowered workforce. 
    • Job retention, possibility for career growth, and a thriving work environment must remain top priorities. 
    • Technology should enable and not burden frontline staff, thus, developing technology with human-centered design is key. 

Innovation and Digital Transformation in the NHS  

Richard Stubbs, Chief Executive Officer at Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber and Chair of the Health Innovation Network, discussed the role of regional health networks in driving innovation. He emphasized a shift in perspective, in which healthcare is increasingly seen not just as a public service but as a sector that can boost economic growth. He emphasized that the NHS already has the necessary technology and infrastructure to improve patient care, but lacks the system-wide adoption and implementation of proven solutions. 

Overcoming Barriers to Digital Adoption 

Speakers at HETT North highlighted three major roadblocks to technological adoption within the NHS: 

1. Fragmented IT Infrastructure: Many NHS systems remain outdated and disjointed, making it difficult to integrate new technologies seamlessly. According to a Financial Times report, NHS staff frequently struggle with unreliable IT systems, which directly impact patient care. Ian Hogan, Chief Digital Information Officer of Leeds and York Partnership NHS Trust sheds light on this: “You’ve got functional MRI in one corner, you’ve got an epilepsy clinic in another, and a whole genome sequencing within the space, but every computer screen looks like its software is from Windows 95.” 

2. Regulatory Hurdles: Overly complex regulations and misaligned policies of each NHS Trust slow down innovation. A recent report confirmed that regulatory inconsistencies are preventing health-tech solutions from being implemented efficiently.  

3. Cultural Resistance: Some NHS staff and leadership remain hesitant about adopting new technologies and working with privately owned companies. Fears of workflow disruption, as well as data security threats, are some reasons for this hesitation. Experts at HETT North pointed out that fostering a culture of innovation is critical to overcoming current challenges within the system. Olivia Burns, Founder of Hypoplas & NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Program participant, underscored the extent of this barrier:

“I want to work with the NHS. It’s the organization that saved my life. But I can’t get there because of this barrier, because they don’t trust me as a private company.”

Panel Discussion: The Role of AI & Digital Tools in Genomic Medicine 

Through engaging panel discussions and company exhibits, the event didn’t just showcased the problems but also showcased tangible, real-world solutions that could be implemented nationally within the NHS. 

One standout panel discussion that caught our eye focused on AI’s role in genomic medicine.  

AI has significantly accelerated diagnoses in this field, allowing more patients to be diagnosed than ever before. 

However, this increased diagnostic capacity also means that more patients require ongoing care, placing a greater burden on healthcare systems like the NHS. 

“We’re diagnosing more individuals than ever before, but they need lifelong follow-up—being told when the guidelines change for their treatment, when a new trial is available, or when a new treatment is available. AI could help the NHS manage their non-sexy, mundane tasks.” 

– Demetra Georgiou, Chair of the British Society for Genetic Medicine & Genetic Counsellor at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. 

While AI offers immense potential, barriers to adoption within the NHS might mean relying on traditional data analysis methods in the meantime. Ali Connell, Director of Digital Health at Our Future Health UK, highlighted: 

“There’s a tremendous value that we can deliver to members of the public who are both part of the study or not, without AI. Just by analyzing the simple variants or giving people simple information about their health and the risk of disease that does not rely on machine learning.” 

Whilst the NHS’s slow adoption of AI can be somewhat compensated for by using traditional analytical tools, many argue that the NHS is “missing out,” as AI could enable tasks to be done easier and faster. 

Realizing the Potential of Smart Hospitals 

Another key session explored how geospatial technology can improve operational efficiency in hospitals. Duncan Booth, Head of Health and Social Care at ESRI UK, and Nick Campbell-Voegt, Managing Director of BIS Consult, showcased geospatial solutions for: 

  • Reducing missed appointments, which cost the NHS £1.2b annually. 
  • Optimizing hospital space management to ease overcrowded wards. 
  • Tracking resources and improving logistics through real-time digital mapping tools. 

“Imagine if every hospital had a living, breathing digital twin, a system that tracks beds, equipment, patients and staff, staff movement in real time. This isn’t science fiction. This is geospatial technology,” said Booth. 

Their geospatial technology has been implemented in two NHS Foundation Trusts, with one deployment at Airedale General Hospital earning them two awards for significantly increasing efficiency by over 50%.  

Cybersecurity and AI within the NHS 

The growing integration of AI in healthcare has sparked excitement amongst both clinicians and patients. However, it has also raised concerns regarding cybersecurity threats, data protection, and system vulnerabilities. Experts at HETT North 2025 discussed how AI can both be a cybersecurity risk and a tool for defense.

“From a cyber defender point of view, it’s I think it’s going to be massively beneficial as well, and it’s really important that we don’t always focus on the negative side of AI, because a lot of good will come from this”

– HETT North Speaker, Nasser Arif, Cybersecurity Manager at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.

The Road Ahead: Transforming Healthcare Through Innovation 

Discussions brought upon during the HETT North 2025 event reaffirmed that technology is not a luxury but a necessity for the NHS to meet growing demands, workforce shortages, and cybersecurity threats. Key takeaways included: 

    • Collaboration between healthtech companies, policymakers, and NHS Trusts is essential to ensure that the NHS continues to evolve and improve, leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance patient care.
    • The NHS must standardize IT frameworks and embrace digital adoption on a national scale. 
    • Digital innovation must be patient-centric, enhancing care without burdening clinicians. 

As the NHS embarks on its next decade of transformation, the insights from HETT North 2025 will undoubtedly influence policies, investments, and technological advancements in the years to come, making digital innovations a cornerstone of the NHS’s continued evolution. 

Be sure to join us at HETT Show 2025, 7-8 October at ExCeL London.