#42. W/c 28th July '25
Alastair Allen
Partner, Head of Healthcare Technology at EY | Board Member at openEHR UK | Health and Social Care Council Member at TechUK
This week, my newsletter covers the reflections and priorities shared by the HSE CTTO, the rollout of electronic prescribing at 55 mental health sites, and the looming cyber crisis healthcare isn't prepared for. It also highlights the significant pullback in digital health funding, and President Trump's new digital health initiative supported by major tech firms.
One Year On: Reflections and Priorities from HSE CTTO
Damien McCallion, reflecting on his first year as Chief Technology & Transformation Officer for Ireland's HSE, highlights the pivotal role of people in steering digital health transformation. Over the past year, HSE has launched the Health App, made progress on EHRs, and accelerated community service digital capabilities through Community Connect. Notable achievements include the deployment of MedLIS at Beaumont Hospital and advances in cybersecurity and infrastructure. The introduction of a Chief Data & Analytics Officer is a key step for HSE's AI strategy.
HSE's "Digital for Care 2030" serves as a guiding strategy, aiming for more integrated, people-centred healthcare, aligned with Sláintecare reforms. Benefits for patients include a secure app for appointments and improved service interactions. For staff, digital tools aim to enhance job efficiency and safety.
McCallion emphasises the importance of supporting staff through expanded training and development, underlining that the success of digital projects relies heavily on teamwork across multidisciplinary teams. The EHR programme, regarded as a national priority, has made significant advances, preparing for implementation starting in Dublin Northeast.
Read more: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/one-year-reflections-priorities-from-damien-er8xe/
Electronic prescribing to be rolled out at 55 mental health sites
An electronic prescribing system from Better, is set to be implemented at 55 mental health sites across the UK. This transition from manual to digital records aims to enhance patient safety by utilising clinical decision support, providing automated prompts, and introducing safeguards.
The phased rollout will start in October 2025 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. This initiative is expected to transition over 2,000 users from paper-based systems to electronic records, allowing healthcare professionals, particularly pharmacists, to focus more on patient care rather than administrative tasks.
The system promises to improve how pharmacists and healthcare professionals interact, shifting towards clinically-led services. Moreover, the introduction of this technology will standardise medicine management across all sites, optimise stock management, and improve data reporting and compliance. This move also anticipates saving time for nurses by reducing the time spent on stock counting and administrative duties, further enabling them to concentrate on patient care.
The Next Cyber Crisis Is Inevitable — and Healthcare Isn’t Ready
The healthcare sector is increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks, a concern highlighted by the major data breach at Change Healthcare, which exposed information on over half of the US population. Despite heightened awareness, experts warn that the sector's outdated systems, staffing shortages, and rushed adoption of new technologies leave it dangerously exposed.
Recent breaches have affected millions, drawing attention to the sector's weak defences compared to industries like retail and banking. The speed at which cyber threats evolve outpaces healthcare’s cybersecurity advancements, with many organisations still relying on legacy systems that are difficult to update without disrupting patient care.
The article emphasises the need for continuous validation of security measures rather than compliance-driven approaches, highlighting how healthcare is a target for ransomware due to the sensitivity and urgency of its data. Despite the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals, healthcare organisations often struggle with basic cyber hygiene practices like multi-factor authentication.
Read more: https://medcitynews.com/2025/07/healthcare-cybersecurity-3/
Digital Health Funding Falls to 5-Year Low
In Q2 2025, digital health funding dropped to its lowest level in five years. The sector experienced a 21% decline in funding from Q1, totalling $4.4 billion, with deal numbers falling to 267 from 325. This decline highlights an increasing investor focus on fewer, more mature companies amidst global economic uncertainty. Late-stage deals saw an increase in average size, despite the overall downturn.
AI remains dominant, capturing 69% of digital health funding in Q2, a rise from the previous quarter's 60%. AI companies secured 9 of the 10 largest deals this quarter, including 6 mega-rounds (funding rounds of $100 million or above). Neuralink led with a $650 million Series E round, advancing its AI-driven brain-computer interface platform.
Two new unicorns emerged: Pathos, an AI-driven oncology drug developer, raised $365 million, and Nourish, a telenutrition platform, secured $70 million. Additionally, two digital health companies, Hinge Health and Omada Health, went public with respective valuations of $2.6 billion and $1.1 billion. Both companies provide employer-focused chronic care programmes.
White House launches digital health initiative backed by leading tech firms
The White House has unveiled a digital health initiative with support from over 60 leading technology and healthcare firms, including tech giants Apple, Google, and Amazon. Spearheaded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the initiative aims to enhance access to personal medical data for US consumers through digital devices, standardising healthcare data interoperability.
President Trump highlighted the importance of the initiative for bringing healthcare into the digital era, emphasising its focus on creating an interoperability framework to ensure seamless information sharing between patients and healthcare providers. Additionally, the initiative seeks to expand a digital health technology ecosystem empowering patients to make informed health decisions.
Experts, however, have expressed concerns regarding the privacy and security of personal health data under this new model. The system is expected to assist Americans, particularly those managing conditions like diabetes and obesity, by incorporating artificial intelligence to help monitor symptoms and streamline health care options.
The introduction of this system represents an effort to modernise and improve the efficiency of health care management, leveraging technological advancements and prominent tech companies’ capabilities. Yet, the implementation will need to address potential risks associated with data privacy and security. Oracle, among other firms signing the CMS pledge, expressed commitment to fostering a secure, interoperable, and AI-enabled medical records system to support better care outcomes.
Project Manager
1moIncredible insights, Alastair. The acceleration of electronic prescribing across mental health services is a promising step — but as you rightly highlight, the cyber vulnerabilities lurking beneath the surface can’t be ignored. At TherapyFast, we’re actively addressing these digital care challenges by creating a secure, AI-powered mental health platform that offers instant access to therapy without waiting weeks for appointments. As funding in the sector tightens and human therapist shortages increase, scalable and cyber-resilient solutions like ours will be vital to keep support accessible and secure. We’d love to collaborate with others committed to reshaping digital mental health responsibly and securely — feel free to explore more or book a demo at www.therapyfast.app, calendly.com/nicky-therapyfast/30min, or contact me directly at nicky@therapyfast.co.uk. Therapy Without the Wait. — Nicky Morris, Founder, TherapyFast