Ming Tang and new Networks chairs respond to 10 year plan

Ming Tang and the three new chairs of the Digital Health Networks Advisory Panels have welcomed the government’s 10 year health plan, however the chairs have recognised the challenge and questioned how exactly the ambitions will be delivered.

Tang co-chaired the 10 year health plan working group and led the federated data platform (FDP), one of the NHS’ major transformation programmes.

Now interim chief digital and information officer (CDIO) at NHS England, she will headline Digital Health Summer Schools as national keynote.

Following the publication of the 10 year plan, Tang said:

“The Plan sets bold ambitions – not just to digitise services, but to redesign care around people’s lives.

“From the vision of a Single Patient Record to the transformation of the NHS App into a true health companion, maximising the FDP which is helping us join up data to better plan, manage and coordinate the delivery of care.

“We’re also laying the foundations to harness AI safely, strengthen data sharing, and unlock health data for research that brings benefits back to the public faster.

“There’s a lot to do to deliver this transformation – but today marks a pivotal moment. Digital and data are central to the NHS of the future and the three shifts of healthcare, allowing us to improve the health outcomes of the nation.”

An all-female line-up of Networks advisory panel chairs were elected for the first time last month, with a new two-year term until 2027 commencing. Here’s what each had to say about the plan:

Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) Advisory Panel chair

Penny Kechagioglou, chief clinical information officer (CCIO), deputy chief medical officer, consultant clinical oncologist, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, said:

“I welcome the NHS 10 year health plan which advocates for a neighbourhood health model, supported by a single health record, optimisation of the NHS App for acute and chronic illness management as well as greater citizen engagement when it comes to health and care.

“It is an ambitious plan which focuses on prevention, more access to front door and primary care services as well as strengthening the use of digital tools and AI to support front line staff and patients.

“As a clinician and DHN CCIO AP chair, I am looking forward to supporting the delivery of the digital component of the plan.”

Chief Information Officer (CIO) Advisory Panel chair

Amy Freeman, chief digital information officer, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, said:

“The 10 year health plan sets a welcome direction for the future of the NHS — one in which digital transformation, data empowerment, and patient-centric technologies play a defining role.

“As chair of the Digital Health CIO Advisory Panel, I strongly support the plan’s ambition to shift from analogue to digital and from sickness to prevention. These are long-held priorities for the digital leadership community across the NHS.

“But we must also be realistic about the challenge of delivering this vision against a backdrop of significant reductions in back-office budgets — including digital, data and technology functions.

“The drive to do more with less is not new, but the scale of what is now expected — modernising infrastructure, rolling out advanced AI, improving interoperability, and safeguarding patient data cannot be achieved without adequate and sustained investment in digital capacity.

“Digital is no longer a support function — it is a frontline enabler of better care, and it should be funded and governed accordingly.

“Our community stands ready to help turn this plan into tangible deliverables, but doing so will require a shared understanding that cutting digital resources today risks undermining the very transformation the NHS is striving to achieve.

“As we look to the next decade, I remain optimistic—but clear-eyed. With the right alignment of ambition and investment, we can deliver a future NHS that is more agile, more inclusive, and ultimately more sustainable.”

Chief Nursing Information Officer (CNIO) Advisory Panel chair

Hayley Grafton, chief nursing information officer, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said:

“I’m really encouraged by the ambition and patient-centred focus of the 10 year plan. It’s refreshing to see digital transformation as a fundamental enabler of better, more equitable care and one of the key shifts.

“As digital nurse leaders, we’ve long called for the NHS to keep pace with technological change and not trail behind it and this plan shows a clear intent to do just that.

“However, the big question remains: how will this be delivered in practice? The additional funding is welcomed but what this means in real terms for the front line is also yet to be seen.

“The plan sets out the ‘what’—but we now need clarity on the ‘how’. Funding, workforce reform (including improving digital skills) and system-wide structures must align if we’re to turn these ambitions into reality.”

Suppliers and think tanks in the UK health technology sector also welcomed the plan embracing innovation and recognising technology as a key pillar for the future of the NHS, but similarly some concerns were raised around exactly how digital plans outlines will become a reality.