In February 2024, the Future Hospital 2050 webinar series on innovation in healthcare planning and design examined the role of digital applications in healthcare services that are being delivered now and in the future to 2050. You can now watch the recording of the roundtable here.
Digital healthcare is a juggernaut that can’t be stopped, but with so many gaps needing to be addressed – including, among others, digital skills; funding and investment; estate infrastructure; and privacy and governance – how do we go about managing the many risks that this new model of care presents and capitalise on the myriad opportunities it offers?
These were some of the questions debated, organised by European Healthcare Design as part of its 'Future Health 2050 series’ and supported by Lexica.
Hosted at the King’s Fund, London, from where the roundtable was live-streamed via SALUS TV, the panel debated the future of digital transformation in healthcare. Learn about the expert panel below, and read the summary article here.
Supported by
As health systems around the world struggle to cope with a tsunami of threats and challenges, from ageing populations and rising levels of chronic disease to ageing physical infrastructure and an overstretched and burnt-out workforce, embracing the ‘tech’ revolution and digital transformation is critical for the long-term sustainability of global health services.
Digital applications, such as virtual care wards, digital imaging technology, patient engagement tools and AI-driven decision 
support and robotics, represent just the tip of the iceberg. Indeed, smart physical asset strategies that fully integrate OT, IT and IoT with medical and building infrastructure to improve clinical, operational and building performance are creating transformative opportunities.
In all aspects of society, the 21st century technological revolution is well underway, with people making decisions and choices about their lives digitally. They expect and demand the control and convenience that the digital world gives them. Yet many aspects of our health systems have failed to keep up and must now urgently adjust to a new environment that is fundamentally changing the relationship between empowered citizens and the health service.
At the same time, rapid advances in medical treatment, diagnostics and life sciences, in tandem with the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, are set to radically reshape and transform patient care, with implications for how, when, what, where and by whom health and care services are provided.
Meet the esteemed panel
Chair: Tina Nolan, Managing director, Lexica
Panel: Fiona Daly, National deputy director of estates, NHS England
Simon Bolton, Non-exec director, advisor and former chief executive, NHS Digital
Kevin Sureshkumar, Director, Spanswick
Professor James Barlow, Chair in technology and innovation management, Imperial College London Business School
Eamonn Gorman, Head of Clinical Informatics New Hospital Programme NHS England
