Tech’s Impact on NHS Staff Time: It’s Not Always a Win
New research throws some cold water on the idea that new technology in the NHS automatically frees up staff for other duties. The Health Foundation’s study found that the impact of various technologies on worker’s time is mixed.
The NHS is currently facing a huge amount of pressure and there’s now a big push from the government to use technology to support workers. The goal is to move from an old-school system to a digital one. However, the Health Foundation’s report which came out on February 24, 2025, titled ‘Tech to save time: how the NHS can realise the benefits’, revealed that the effect different types of technology have on staff time has been inconsistent.
The team analyzed The Health Foundation’s research along with a quick look at other studies, exploring cases where health tech didn’t save time and figuring out why. The main finding? Technology’s potential to save time relies on how the tech is both set up and actually used.
Tim Horton, the assistant director of insights and analysis at The Health Foundation, pointed out that the idea that technology will save workers time is seen as a major solution to many problems in the NHS. But he also said that just buying new tech and hoping it saves time doesn’t work. He added, ‘Policymakers and system leaders must fund the change, not just the tech.’ Local leaders must be flexible, involving staff and patients in the new tech’s deployment to boost the chances of it working well.
The analysis strongly suggests that the successful introduction of technology requires both money and support.
The report also emphasized that successful strategies in healthcare policy need to shift from a focus on buying tech to a focus on how it is implemented and improved. It also stated that it’s super important for policymakers and system leaders to fund the change, rather than just buying the tech itself. The research discovered that with various types of technology, the percentage of studies finding time savings differed. This suggests that some tech may be harder to put into place than others.
The reasons technology had a negative effect on staff time involved problems with workflow, task efficiency, the way tech was used, and the skills required, as well as the general setting.
Looking ahead, the NHS’s 10-year health plan gives a chance to improve on earlier tech programs by challenging the idea that getting new technology will automatically save staff time and improve patient care. Instead, a plan needs to be implemented to support the rollout of health tech that better considers the real-world challenges involved in achieving its benefits, as mentioned in the report.
