LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Financial constraints and a reduction in IT spending are driving a critical need for efficient digital solutions in the United Kingdom’s healthcare system, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2023 ISG Provider Lens™ Healthcare Digital Services report for the U.K. finds that, despite budget limitations and increased regulations, the U.K. remains an attractive market for providers of healthcare digital transformation services, as payers seek solutions that will enhance healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes. Success in this sector requires a set of capabilities tailored to meet the system’s unique requirements, the ISG report says.

“Delivering digital transformation services in healthcare is complex and expensive,” said Mat Hannon, director, U.K. and Ireland, for ISG. “It calls for specialized skills and a deep understanding of medical practices, technologies and local regulations.”

Payers and providers in the U.K. healthcare sector face distinct yet interconnected challenges, the ISG report says. Payers, such as private insurers and Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), must strike a balance between increasing healthcare costs and the growing need to provide comprehensive and affordable coverage, the report says.

Meanwhile, providers, which include hospitals, clinics and individual practitioners, face resource allocation and service delivery challenges, ISG says. According to the report, there is pressure to maintain high standards of care despite staffing shortages, which have been exacerbated by Brexit’s impact on the availability of healthcare professionals.

Hospitals and clinics will be expected to navigate limited budgets yet develop innovative, cost-effective technologies to improve patient management and healthcare delivery, the ISG report says. For their part, digital transformation services providers must offer scalable, interoperable solutions that can integrate with existing systems and provide immediate, tangible benefits, the report says.

“The future of healthcare in the U.K. will be driven by radically interoperable data and open, secure platforms, with a principal goal of actually sustaining patient well-being instead of simply providing care,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “Achieving this goal will require a complex ecosystem of digital transformation services providers focused on the healthcare sector.”

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