Optimising Technology to Transform Patient Care

A critical juncture for NHS trusts

In recent weeks, there have been multiple announcements which will result in some major changes for the NHS, including the abolition of NHS England and the blueprint to turbo charge AI adoption. It’s a critical juncture in the UK's healthcare journey. NHS trusts now face greater pressure than ever to ensure every technology investment drives meaningful change, enables agile outcomes and measurably improves patient care. At this moment, optimising digital transformation is not merely strategic — it’s essential.

The pressure to optimise

The NHS faces constant pressure to enhance patient care while maintaining operational efficiency, and technology-driven engagement is central to achieving these goals. Yet rather than develop a comprehensive, strategic roadmap, many healthcare providers approach digital transformation as a series of isolated tactics.

To fully harness technology's transformative potential, healthcare leaders must focus on creating an end-to-end cloud strategy tailored to their specific needs and future ambitions. Such an approach goes beyond mere cost saving; it fundamentally reshapes patient experiences and healthcare delivery.

Overcoming infrastructure challenges with strategic cloud solutions

The NHS has set ambitious goals, aiming for widespread adoption of Electronic Patient Records (EPR) and robust digital foundations by 2025. However, the ability to reach these objectives can often be hampered by budget constraints, outdated infrastructure and operational pressures. These challenges underscore the need for flexible, secure and efficient cloud strategies designed to overcome current limitations and support ongoing innovation.

Improving a trust’s Digital Maturity Score is critical to successfully adopting modern technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI). A higher score signals strong digital foundations — including reliable infrastructure, quality data systems and digitally skilled staff — which are all necessary for safe and effective AI use. The NHS Digital Maturity Assessment highlights that a digitally mature environment supports better data quality, secure system integration and more efficient workflows.

In contrast, a low score reveals weaknesses such as outdated IT, fragmented data and poor governance. These issues can severely limit a trust’s ability to deploy AI tools at scale and in a compliant, effective way. Without digital readiness, trusts may face challenges with data sharing, staff engagement and meeting regulatory requirements — all of which reduce AI’s impact on patient care and operational performance.

Rackspace Technology recognises that optimisation is key to driving transformation. A strategic cloud solution doesn't just improve efficiency — it supports clinicians with the tools to enhance patient care by enabling seamless data sharing, interoperability and supporting advanced technologies such as telehealth, remote patient monitoring and AI-driven diagnostics.

With the right infrastructure, clinicians gain comprehensive, real-time insights into patient data, enhancing diagnosis accuracy and personalising treatment plans. Patients become active participants in their healthcare journey, empowered by timely, accurate information and improved engagement tools. These advancements directly contribute to better health outcomes and elevated patient satisfaction.

One of the critical obstacles healthcare organisations face is outdated technology, often burdened by legacy infrastructure and constrained by technical debt. Globally, 75% of CIOs report that routine operational tasks limit their ability to focus on innovation. Transitioning to the cloud frees IT teams from daily maintenance and management, enabling a stronger focus on strategic initiatives and innovative patient-care solutions.

Secure, scalable cloud for better patient care

Our approach addresses these issues head-on, providing comprehensive cloud solutions tailored to the NHS. By deploying workload-aware migrations — leveraging private, public and hybrid cloud environments — organisations can strategically position themselves to meet both current demands and future opportunities. Our Healthcare Cloud solution is a UK sovereign cloud platform that assures compliance and data sovereignty, crucial for sensitive patient information.

CNWL has seen the tangible benefits of this approach, as it was able to successfully reduce its infrastructure footprint by 20%, cut costs by up to 18% and accelerate innovation, delivering applications swiftly and enhancing patient safety and staff productivity. According to Owen Powell, CIO at CNWL, "Rackspace Technology allowed us to deliver better and more care to our patients."

Building future readiness and driving better outcomes

As NHS trusts navigate this pivotal period, the path forward demands more than incremental change — it calls for bold, coordinated digital strategies that align with long-term care goals. By investing in scalable, cloud-based solutions and strengthening digital maturity, healthcare organisations can move from reactive operations to proactive innovation. And by leveraging a third-party expert like Rackspace Technology to advise, migrate, manage and optimise your IT infrastructure, you can take away the burden of data centre management for your internal IT team, allowing them to focus on delivering innovative technology solutions to clinicians which empower better patient experiences and outcomes.

The opportunity is clear: empower clinicians, elevate patient experiences and build a more resilient, future-ready NHS. With the right partner and a shared vision, a hybrid cloud strategy can provide the transformation needed to achieve this, with limited disruption and financial sustainability.

Explore how we can address your healthcare technology challenges and find solutions that generate results →