By David Parker, Head of Sales & Accounts at DXS
So, the new 10‑year plan has recently landed – how does DXS align and what are our plans?
It's been fascinating reading through the government's roadmap for NHS transformation. What strikes me most is how much of what they're calling for, we're already delivering across our customer base. It feels less like we need to pivot our direction and more like the NHS is finally catching up to where intelligent automation can take healthcare.
The government wants three big shifts: hospital care to community care, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. They're backing this with some serious commitments – 2% year‑on‑year productivity gains, value‑based payment models, and the NHS App becoming the "full front door" to healthcare by 2028.
What caught my attention immediately was how our existing SMART Referrals platform already addresses many of these priorities. We're not scrambling to reinvent ourselves – we're recognising the validation of our approach.
Productivity and value-based care
The plan emphasises moving from "average cost" payments to "best practice" tariffs. Our budget impact analysis shows £43.4 m in potential savings if just our infertility referral form was deployed across all fertility departments in NHS England. When you consider we've got scores of SMART forms across all NHS specialties using identical technology, the cumulative potential becomes quite compelling. More importantly, we're already delivering the quality outcomes these new payment models will reward – zero inappropriate referrals (down from 36% baseline) and 50% waiting‑time reductions in live deployments.
Digital transformation
The government wants the NHS to become the "most AI-enabled health system in the world". Our cloud-based platform with single sign-on integration and auto-coding capabilities provides exactly the foundation they're describing. We're already progressing e-RS integration and have NHS App connectivity on our development roadmap.
Community care focus
The shift from hospital to community care requires better coordination and efficiency in primary care. Our technology streamlines GP practice workflows, reduces administrative burden, and ensures appropriate referrals – exactly what's needed to make neighbourhood health centres successful.
Immediate benefits
If you're already using our platform, you're ahead of the curve. The plan validates the investment you've made in intelligent referral management. You'll be well-positioned as new financial models roll out that reward quality and efficiency.
Future opportunities
The plan creates several new opportunities for enhanced value:
Here's the thing – whilst this plan creates genuine opportunities, we're not betting the farm on government timelines. We know many NHS organisations are going through painful restructuring right now, and implementation will be gradual.
Our approach is to:
Align messaging naturally with plan priorities without wholesale rebranding
Focus on customers who are ready for advancement rather than those struggling with transformation
Develop incrementally based on genuine demand rather than policy aspiration
Monitor carefully which initiatives gain real traction
Enhanced integration
We'll continue developing our e-RS and NHS App integration capabilities, but at a pace that matches customer readiness. The technology framework is there – it's about timing and practical implementation.
Expanded analytics
Our current dashboards provide good basic reporting, with three-tier real-time analytics coming soon on our development roadmap. These enhanced capabilities will provide the kind of comprehensive outcome tracking the new payment models will require.
Research opportunities
With Primary Care Research Delivery Centres opening in 2026, our comprehensive data capture across specialities, positions us well for research partnerships when opportunities arise naturally.
Let's be honest – this is a 10‑year plan, not a 10‑month sprint. The NHS is massive, complex, and currently dealing with significant operational pressures. Real transformation takes time, and implementation will be patchy.
What matters is that we're already delivering proven value today whilst being positioned for tomorrow's opportunities. We don't need to chase every policy initiative – we need to excel with customers who are ready for change and build relationships for future opportunities.
For our existing customers, nothing changes in terms of service excellence. You'll continue getting the same co-designed approach and responsive support that's made our platform successful.
For potential customers, this plan provides additional validation of the intelligent automation approach. The question isn't whether digital transformation is coming – it's whether you'll be ready when the opportunities arrive.
We'll be sharing more detailed analyses of specific plan elements over the coming weeks. But the headline is simple: we're well-positioned for whatever comes next, and we'll continue focusing on practical value delivery rather than policy chasing.
Want to discuss how the 10‑Year Plan might affect your organisation? Get in touch – I'd welcome the conversation.
This article reflects our initial analysis of the NHS 10‑Year Health Plan. For more detailed strategic analysis, contact us directly at hello@dxs-systems.co.uk.
