James Freed, deputy director of the NHS Digital Academy, talking at BMJ Future Well being (Credit score: Jordan Sollof)
Healthcare employees are quitting the sector due to an absence of digital literacy abilities which leads them to wrestle with know-how, based on James Freed, deputy director of the NHS Digital Academy.
Talking on the BMJ Future Well being convention in London on 6 November 2025, Freed mentioned that poor ranges of digital literacy within the NHS are inflicting poorer affected person outcomes, employees burnout and staff to depart the sector.
He mentioned that between 2% and 5% of NHS staff have elementary digital abilities gaps, akin to fundamental IT competence, which may trigger them to “depart the NHS after they’re requested to make use of digital instruments for the primary time,” whereas between 60% and 75% of NHS employees have some sort of digital abilities hole, akin to product data or AI consciousness.
“We’re beginning to see in excessive numbers, greater than we ever have, digital know-how being cited for the the explanation why individuals are selecting to depart healthcare now,” he mentioned.
Freed additionally highlighted analysis from Boston Consulting Group which discovered that 63% of failed digital transformations fail resulting from cultural, organisational or digital abilities purpose, somewhat than the know-how itself.
He mentioned that the NHS 10 yr well being plan and different healthcare methods during the last three a long time, “have majored on digital know-how because the magic sauce that will make the NHS extra productive and inexpensive”.
Nonetheless, he mentioned that regardless of the ten yr well being plan being “filled with ambition”, he was involved that “we’re all slightly burnt out on ambition that hasn’t fairly met its promise”.
“I might counsel we have to try to do perhaps slightly bit much less, however do some so much higher,” he mentioned.
The session was chaired by Linda Vernon, head of digital empowerment at NHS England North West, and in addition featured Marcela Paola Vizcaychipi, chief scientific info officer at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Basis Belief.
Each Freed and Vizcaychipi harassed that schooling and cultures are the true drivers of digital transformation success within the NHS.
Vizcaychipi mentioned that healthcare professionals’ curriculum “ought to have a component of digital literacy to get a greater understanding of what we’re introducing in order that it’s not new to them”.
She added that we have to begin getting “children that have been born with a pc beneath their arms” round NHS govt boards and referred to as for the introduction of “reverse mentorship” guided by youthful people who find themselves extra tech savvy.
“The older we get, the extra afraid we’re to say, ‘I don’t know’, we have to begin exhibiting vulnerability.
“My strategy is [to] have interaction the kids, rework the considering by educating and naturally vulnerability – don’t be afraid of problem,” she mentioned.
In the meantime, the Royal School of GPs has warned of a “mass exodus of GPs” leaving the career after its annual survey discovered that just about a 3rd of GPs mentioned they have been unlikely to nonetheless be working typically apply in 5 years’ time.
Its GP Voice survey of two,100 members discovered that 73% felt workload pressures have been compromising affected person security and fewer than 30% had sufficient time with sufferers throughout consultations.
