The healthcare sector in the UK is facing many challenges and hurdles. Studies suggest that people’s satisfaction with the UK healthcare services is at its lowest. According to a study, only 60% of the UK public were satisfied with the healthcare providers. Although this number is higher than before, it has decreased significantly from its peak in 2010. The major reason behind this dissatisfaction is the poor functioning of the healthcare services. Shortage of knowledge of digital techniques, inadequate funding, and disorganised systems are some of the major challenges facing the healthcare sector in the UK. However, there is a solution that might address all these issues- healthcare digital transformation. 

Challenges of the Healthcare Providers in the UK

Studies suggest that hospitals aren’t able to provide proper care due to faults in their internal affairs. According to the NHS, “The main challenges faced by the NHS historically have been staffing retention, bureaucracy, lack of digital technology, and obstacles to sharing data for patient healthcare.” Studies further suggest that due to poor staffing, lack of order and funds of the hospitals, patient experience is facing adverse effects. 

In July 2015, the situation of the Emergency care of the hospitals was grave with 410,092 patients waiting for a bed on trollies for more than 12 hours. In July 2023, the number of patients waiting for their routine check-ups increased to nearly 7.7 million – an all-time high. This further means that at least 390,000 patients are forced to wait for their appointment for more than a year. Hospitals in England have been failing to maintain the decorum of meeting target patient care, as specified by the NHS, since 2016. According to the NHS, patients must not wait more than 18 weeks for their appointments. 

Patient experience hit a new low in the UK when they faced challenges of delayed discharge. In 2023, at least 12,000 hospital beds were occupied by patients who were cured and needed to be discharged. This, when combined with the long wait for patients to get an appointment, reflects the dire situation of healthcare providers Birmingham. Besides, the lack of funding, which decreased to 1.5% per year (less than the average funding), is an obstacle to enhancing patient experience. 

Digital Transformation of Healthcare in the UK

However, healthcare digital transformation can improve the critical conditions of healthcare providers in the UK. Many third-party companies/freelancers provide digital solutions. These solutions are a team of both digital tools and human expertise in streamlining healthcare services. Their major contribution is in decreasing the backlogs in the administration of the hospitals and dealing with the complex bureaucracy of this sector. Digital solutions lift the administrative burden and allow doctors and other healthcare professionals to focus on improving patient experience in healthcare. When hospitals outsource their services, they entrust digital solutions with honest and accurate bureaucratic work. Digital solution providers are responsible enough not to let AI deal with the critical work of the hospitals.

Below is a list of digital solutions that can usher in healthcare digital transformation for better treatment and holistic development of the patient and hospital relationship. 

Digital Solutions for Healthcare in the UK

1. Medical Transcription Services

One of the most critical bureaucratic work of the healthcare sector is accurate medical transcription. It is essential for transcriptionists to correctly note down all the health issues and treatments of a patient. With a transcriptionist who is not trustworthy and skilled enough, health professionals face the strain of wrong transcription. This affects the patients’ health records, insurance payments, and the legal status of the hospital. 

By outsourcing transcription services to digital solutions, health professionals can seamlessly conduct the treatment. The transcriptionists of the digital solutions are skilled and expert in transcribing the treatments. They are aware of medical terms and stay alert against misuse, miscommunication or misspelling medical jargon. The accuracy of the medical transcription services helps in maintaining the proper patient health records. 

2. Back-Office Services

Due to a lack of funding, the hospital staff are facing salary cuts and poor pension policies. Consequently, many of them are exiting the hospitals and migrating abroad for better work. Studies show that there is a staff vacancy of 152,000 in the UK hospitals, which includes both medical and non-medical staff. This affects not only the patient experience and care, but also the health of the minimal staff available due to work stress and burnout. 

The 2022 NHS staff survey revealed that only 26% of the staff are satisfied with the available staff. 45% felt unwell and 36% burnt out due to work stress. The lack of funding has decreased the capacity to boost the training of the staff. The number of hospital managers has decreased, and the NHS is severely under-managed. 

Consequently, patient experience is facing a strain. One of the most important management works of the hospitals is seamless patient admission and appointment. Studies show that 50.2% of patients in the UK are facing problems in getting to the hospital by phone. More than 26% stated that they had avoided making appointments over the past 12 months just because of the difficulties involved. 

However, healthcare digital transformation provides the option of a Back-Office digital solution which takes care of the bureaucratic work. The Back-Office services streamline the official procedures of the hospitals. They implement digital solutions for seamless appointments, discharge, formalities and maintenance of the electronic patient health record. Hiring back-office digital solutions can be the best patient engagement strategy for healthcare providers in Birmingham. 

3. Back-Office Accounting Services

The critical condition of the healthcare providers in the UK is mainly due to the lack of funds. Besides, the delays in payments, penalties or rejected claims make it even more difficult for the healthcare providers to maintain their facilities. 

In this situation, back-office accounting services can help the hospitals in enhancing patient experience. They ensure timely payments through easy payment gateways and accurate claim submissions to the insurance companies. The team of the Back-Office services is an expert in dealing with delayed payments or rejected claims. They are patient enough to attend to the needs of every patient equally. These services are scalable too, which means their work is consistent even during changing workflow. 

4. GDPR-Compliance

Last but not least, digital solutions ensure GDPR-compliance in every service they provide. Hospitals in the UK are always under the supervision of the GDPR regulations and policies. These rules ensure patient privacy, legal practices in the hospitals and maintenance of other necessary decorum. With a lack of staff, a lack of knowledge, and workload and burnout, maintaining GDPR-compliance can be difficult. This will lead to legal consequences like lawsuits, penalties and loss of the license to practice. 

Healthcare digital transformation can systematically avoid this challenge through digital solutions. The services of these solutions are aware of all the rules and policies of the GDPR, including the new ones. This makes them efficient in carrying out the services without violating any regulations and laws. Consequently, a hospital that is both legal and high-functioning is the best for improving patient experience in healthcare. 

Conclusion

The above discussion about the challenges of the healthcare providers in the UK shows a dire situation in the sector. The healthcare sector carries a huge responsibility. It is the hope of every patient to see a better future. It has the lives of the patients in its hands, So, the healthcare sector must function properly. With the digital era gracing the entire generation, healthcare digital transformation is the most viable solution to create powerful and productive hospitals. To improve patient experience in 2026, choose the best digital solution for healthcare services in Birmingham today!