March 2025
On March 13th, the government announced the abolition of NHS England, a significant shift that will integrate its functions into the Department of Health and Social Care. This move, described as aiming to "reduce duplication", marks the end of a 12-year experiment in managing the NHS more independently of ministerial control.
What this means for DXS
Despite the challenges of Transitional Uncertainty, Changing Stakeholders, and Policy Direction, we see opportunities on the horizon for our SMART Referrals solution:
- Reduced bureaucracy: The government's focus on cutting administrative duplication could accelerate technology adoption processes and potentially streamline the path to implementation for solutions like SMART Referrals.
- Increased local autonomy: Healthcare experts, including Professor Azeem Majeed of Imperial College London, suggest this restructuring may "empower leaders to innovate and respond more effectively to local health needs". This could create new opportunities for tailored solutions at the ICB level.
- Direct access to decision makers: With the Health Secretary now directly accountable for healthcare delivery, there may be clearer pathways to influence policy and technology adoption decisions and a more urgent focus on solutions that deliver measurable results against the targets.
What our ICB customers can expect
For Integrated Care Boards currently using or considering our SMART Referrals solution:
- Short-term disruption: As noted by several healthcare leaders, some temporary disruption is inevitable during this transition period. To help overcome this, we are committed to providing continuity of service throughout this process.
- Renewed focus on frontline care: The Prime Minister's announcement emphasises redirecting resources to frontline clinical services. This aligns with the core purpose of our SMART Referrals solution, which is to improve pathway efficiency and reduce waiting times.
- Continued evolution of local healthcare systems: Despite the national restructuring, the government seems committed to preserving the ICB landscape, indicating ongoing autonomy and potentially further budget devolution to ICBs.
Our commitment
At DXS, we remain dedicated to supporting our customers through this transition. Our team is closely monitoring developments and engaging with key stakeholders to ensure our SMART Referrals solution continues to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare system.
As Hugh Alderwick, Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, reminds us: "Reforming NHS bureaucracy is not the same as reforming patient care". We are committed to ensuring our technology continues to improve patient outcomes, regardless of the organisational structures in which it operates.
Back to News
