Digital Health Rewired 2025: 10 Key Talking Points
Exec Summary
Digital Health Rewired 2025, is taking place on March 18-19 th at the NEC in Birmingham and is set to be a pivotal event for the UK’s Digital Health community. Here are 10 key talking points likely to dominate discussions this week:
Closing NHS England and the Impact on Digital Transformation
NHS England has been a driving force behind digital initiatives like the NHS App, shared care records, and AI adoption. With its dissolution, conference attendees will likely debate how the DHSC, a traditionally policy-focused body, will prioritise and execute these tech-driven efforts.
Sonia Patel, NHS England’s Chief Technology Officer, is a keynote speaker at Rewired; her insights could shift to address how digital strategies will transition under new leadership, especially as the government pushes for a single patient record accessible via the NHS App.
Workforce and Leadership Dynamics
The loss of NHS England’s leadership—figures like Amanda Pritchard and Steve Powis stepping down, overlaps with Rewired’s workforce discussions. Clinical digital leaders (CNIOs, CCIOs) may question how their roles evolve without NHS England as a buffer between frontline care and government directives, a concern mirrored in posts on X highlighting the "high stakes" for Wes Streeting.
Accelerating the Shift from Analogue to Digital in the NHS
With the UK government and NHS England emphasizing a transition to a digitally enabled healthcare system, expect significant focus on what “analogue to digital” practically means. Discussions will likely centre on Wes Streeting’s vision for NHS reform, shifting care from hospitals to communities, prioritising prevention over treatment, and leveraging digital tools to make this a reality.
Keynote speakers like Sonia Patel, NHS England’s Chief Technology Officer, and Ming Tang, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, may address how digital foundations can support this shift at scale.
AI’s Transformative Potential and Ethical Challenges
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be a hot topic, with sessions exploring its role in clinical decision-making, operational efficiency, and patient care. The keynote "Can AI save the NHS?" featuring Prof Stephanie Klein Nagelvoort Schuit suggests a deep dive into AI’s promise and pitfalls.
Expect debates on governance, data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the need for ethical frameworks, especially as AI adoption accelerates across healthcare settings.
Patient Empowerment and Engagement
With £70M invested in patient engagement, the Patient Engagement Stage will likely highlight how digital tools such as apps, portals, and data, are empowering patients to manage their health. Case studies from health charities and patients, alongside speakers like Gemma Peters from Macmillan Cancer Support, will showcase real-world successes and challenges in making healthcare more patient-centred.
Digital Transformation Best Practices
The Digital Transformation Stage will feature NHS CEOs and system leaders sharing lessons from successful digital initiatives. With speakers like Prof Joe Harrison and Dr Umang Patel from Microsoft UK, discussions will likely focus on scalable transformation, integrating data across systems, and overcoming barriers like workforce resistance or outdated infrastructure.
Innovation and Start-Up Ecosystem
The Innovation and Start-Up Stages, including the live Pitchfest finals, will spotlight cutting-edge digital health solutions. Topics may include how start-ups and scale-ups are addressing NHS challenges, from remote monitoring to AI-driven diagnostics, and the mechanisms (e.g., NHS test beds) to support their growth and adoption.
Cybersecurity and Digital Safety
As healthcare relies more on digital infrastructure, cybersecurity will be a critical talking point. With rising threats and the need for clinical digital safety, expect sessions to explore how to protect patient data, ensure system reliability, and embed safety into digital design—echoing calls from leaders like Kimberley Dawson of the CSO Council.
Integrated Care and Data Interoperability
The Integrated Care Stage will likely focus on how Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are using shared care records, population health data, and patient portals to deliver connected care. This ties into the broader push for interoperability, a persistent challenge that 2025 discussions will aim to address with practical examples and strategies.
Workforce and Digital Literacy
With digital tools reshaping healthcare delivery, the role of the workforce, particularly clinical digital leaders like CNIOs and CCIOs, will be a recurring theme. Speakers like Helen Balsdon, NHS England’s Chief Nursing Information Officer, may highlight the need for digital literacy and training to ensure staff can leverage technology effectively.
These talking points reflect the event’s emphasis on collaboration, innovation, and actionable outcomes, aligning with the NHS’s broader goals and the Labour government’s 10-year health reform plan. With over 200 speakers and thousands of attendees, Rewired 2025 promises to be a dynamic forum for tackling these pressing issues head-on.
History of Digital Health ReWired
Digital Health ReWired has a history of bringing together various stakeholders in the digital health sector since its inaugural event in 2019. Here's a brief overview:
2019: The first Digital Health ReWired event took place in London, attracting over 1,600 attendees, including NHS IT leaders, healthcare professionals, and startups. Key themes included ensuring the next generation of digital healthcare leaders are well-equipped, achieving digital maturity in healthcare, and creating a single standard for medication information.
2020: The 2nd Digital Health ReWired event took place at London Olympia just before the national lockdown. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event transitioned to a virtual format focusing on "Digital Responses to Covid-19." This event showcased how diverse digital technologies helped healthcare and care systems respond to the pandemic, highlighting best practices and case studies.
2021: The event continued its virtual format, focusing on how the pandemic accelerated the adoption of cloud and mobile-based solutions in the NHS. It also explored interoperability, a crucial challenge faced by the NHS in delivering joined-up care services.
2022 and 2023 The 2022 and 2023 events took place at the BDC, Business Design Centre in Islington, London, the 2023 conference was a big success drawing in 3,600+ attendees.
2024: Digital Health ReWired took place at the NEC in Birmingham. The overarching theme was "The role of digital and data in the future of healthcare," and the program will likely delve into various aspects of this theme, including AI, data analytics, patient engagement, and cyber security.
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