Among the five missions outlined by Keir Starmer’s government in the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, the mission of ‘Building an NHS fit for the future’ is the most important to the UK public, according to a recent Ipsos poll. 69% of respondents cited this mission as their top priority, well ahead of other missions like ‘Making Britain’s streets safe’ and focusing on economic growth, clean energy, and childhood opportunities.
As a security specialist, I find this preference for improving the NHS particularly noteworthy because without robust data security and management, the desired improvements to NHS services will remain out of reach. It is crucial to rethink how patient data is secured and managed to ensure the success of initiatives to enhance NHS services.
While improved cybersecurity is just one piece of the puzzle in addressing challenges faced by the NHS, it is a crucial component. NHS resources need to be more effectively shared across trusts to improve patient outcomes. This includes sharing data more effectively, which is currently hindered by outdated cybersecurity practices within the health service. With vast amounts of data spread across various systems, focusing on locking down individual systems is not sufficient to prevent security threats, as evidenced by previous cyber attacks on London hospitals.
To address these challenges, cybersecurity defenses within the NHS must be strengthened with proactive measures rather than relying solely on a defensive approach. Utilizing tools for real-time data analysis and threat detection can enhance visibility and enable teams to respond to suspicious activities more effectively. By surfacing NHS data and allowing authorized users to access it through a centralized platform while keeping it secure in its original source systems, staff can better match patients with available services across different NHS trusts.
This approach can be implemented within the NHS without requiring significant additional funding. With budget constraints in mind, it is essential for the government to think innovatively and strategically in delivering on its promises to improve public services. By leveraging a modern approach to data security and management, the government can achieve more with less and drive positive change in various sectors beyond healthcare.
Adam Button is the EMEA field CTO for security at Elastic.