What is... NHS Digital?
NHS Digital was the national organisation responsible for providing digital services, technology, and data systems that supported health and social care across England. It played a central role in managing many of the digital platforms used every day by healthcare professionals, patients, researchers, and NHS organisations.
In February 2023, NHS Digital formally merged with NHS England. Its responsibilities, staff, and services were transferred to NHS England as part of a wider programme to bring together leadership of the NHS and accelerate digital transformation across healthcare. Although NHS Digital no longer exists as a separate organisation, the term continues to be widely used. Many of the systems and services originally developed or managed by NHS Digital remain in use today and continue to support millions of patients and healthcare professionals.
Understanding the role NHS Digital played - and how its responsibilities now sit within NHS England - helps explain how digital technology underpins modern healthcare and why secure management of health information is so important.
What was NHS Digital responsible for?
NHS Digital was established to improve the use of technology, information, and data throughout the NHS. Its aim was to ensure that healthcare professionals had access to reliable digital systems while enabling patients to interact more easily with NHS services.
Its responsibilities included developing and maintaining national digital infrastructure, supporting the secure sharing of healthcare information, publishing health data, and helping organisations improve the quality and efficiency of patient care. Many of the digital services now delivered through NHS England originated with NHS Digital and continue to operate as essential components of everyday healthcare.
What services did NHS Digital provide?
These included:
Managing the NHS Spine, which allows healthcare organisations to securely share essential patient information.
Supporting the NHS App, enabling patients to access health records, order repeat prescriptions, and book appointments.
Maintaining national health datasets and publishing healthcare statistics.
Developing digital infrastructure that supports electronic prescribing, referrals, and patient record systems.
Improving cyber security across NHS organisations and protecting sensitive health information.
These systems allow healthcare professionals to access important clinical information quickly, helping to improve communication and continuity of care across different healthcare settings.
Why is digital technology so important in healthcare?
Modern healthcare relies heavily on accurate, accessible, and secure information. Clinicians often need immediate access to medical histories, medication lists, allergies, investigation results, and referral information to make safe clinical decisions. Digital systems reduce reliance on paper records, improve communication between organisations, and help ensure that patients receive coordinated care.
Technology also supports:
Electronic patient records.
Diagnostic imaging and laboratory reporting.
Electronic prescribing.
Appointment booking and patient communication.
Population health planning and research.
For patients, digital services offer greater convenience by allowing them to access elements of their healthcare online while maintaining appropriate security and confidentiality.
How does NHS England now deliver these services?
Following the merger in 2023, NHS England became responsible for the functions previously carried out by NHS Digital. This means NHS England now oversees many national digital services, including the NHS App, national data platforms, cyber security programmes, and digital transformation initiatives.
The merger was intended to simplify decision-making, improve collaboration, and ensure that technology development is more closely aligned with wider NHS priorities. Although organisational structures have changed, the core objectives remain the same: improving patient care through safe, effective, and secure use of digital technology.
Why is information governance so important?
Healthcare organisations follow legislation such as the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, alongside NHS policies and professional guidance governing the use and sharing of patient information.
Robust information governance helps ensure that patient data is only accessed by authorised individuals, stored securely, and used appropriately to support clinical care. Maintaining public confidence in digital healthcare depends on these safeguards being consistently applied.
Can digital systems become relevant in clinical negligence cases?
Concerns may arise where there are allegations of:
Incomplete or inaccurate electronic records.
Delays caused by failures in digital systems.
Incorrect transfer of patient information.
Failures to review electronically available test results.
Data governance or confidentiality breaches.
Importantly, the existence of a digital error does not automatically establish negligence. Each case must be assessed individually, considering both the technology involved and the actions of the healthcare professionals using it.
The role of expert witnesses in cases involving digital healthcare records
Expert witnesses are frequently instructed where digital records form part of a clinical negligence claim. The expert reviews electronic clinical records, audit logs, referral histories, investigation results, prescribing records, and relevant organisational policies to assess whether the standard of care was appropriate.
They may consider whether healthcare professionals had access to relevant information, whether important results were reviewed promptly, and whether documentation accurately reflected the care provided. Where digital systems or information governance issues are relevant, expert evidence helps the court understand how these factors may have influenced clinical decision-making.
As with all medico-legal opinions, the assessment focuses on whether care met the standard expected of a reasonably competent professional based on the information available at the time.
Conclusion
Although NHS Digital no longer exists as a separate organisation, its legacy continues through NHS England, which now delivers many of the digital services relied upon throughout the NHS.
From electronic health records and secure information sharing to the NHS App and national data systems, digital technology has transformed the way healthcare is delivered across England. These services support safer, more coordinated, and more efficient patient care while helping healthcare professionals access the information they need to make informed clinical decisions.
In medico-legal cases, digital records frequently provide important evidence regarding clinical care, communication, and decision-making. Understanding the role previously played by NHS Digital - and how these responsibilities now sit within NHS England - provides valuable insight into the digital infrastructure that underpins modern healthcare.