Delivering the NHS 10-Year Health Plan; analogue to digital and beyond
The Cambridge Health Network fosters collaboration across public, private and academic sectors by connecting leading healthcare figures through debate and exclusive events. Acacium Group was proud to host the latest session, Analogue to Digital – making the shift finally happen, at our London HQ.
The discussion explored how to embed lasting digital change, from clinical workflows to patient engagement. Set against the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, speakers highlighted the need for aligned leadership, investment and workforce readiness to deliver smarter, safer and more equitable care.
While perspectives varied, there was clear agreement: full buy-in from healthcare providers, both within the NHS and the independent sector, is essential to achieving the plan’s ambitions. Shifting care into communities, tackling health inequalities and accelerating digital innovation all depend on strong public-private partnerships that improve outcomes and ease system pressures.
Across more than 1,000 UK sites, Acacium Group helps scale delivery, mobilise the workforce and build integrated services that support this transformation.
From analogue to digital
Healthcare providers are leading digital transformation, using technology to improve access and deliver more responsive care. Acacium Group supports this shift with scalable digital solutions that enhance service delivery for a better patient experience.
Digital mental health platforms
Access to mental health support remains uneven across the UK, particularly in remote and rural areas where geography and infrastructure limit service delivery. Digital platforms have helped bridge this gap by offering scalable, inclusive care that expands access and reduces wait times.
Recognising the link between physical and mental health, Xyla partnered with West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership to deliver Empower, a six-month pilot designed to complement the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission programme. The initiative provided tailored psychological support to participants navigating the emotional challenges of lifestyle change and disease management.
Using light-touch CBT-based interventions delivered via phone or video, Empower helped service users overcome barriers to engagement, such as anxiety, low motivation and fear of relapse. With over 200 referrals and strong early feedback, the programme demonstrates how integrating mental health support into physical health pathways can improve outcomes, reduce dropout rates and support a more holistic model of care.
Teledermatology
As part of the NHS’s digital transformation, teledermatology is emerging as a powerful tool to reduce diagnostic backlogs and improve patient outcomes. Frimley Integrated Care Board partnered with Xyla, part of Acacium Group, to deliver a pioneering teledermatology service. This virtual model enabled GPs to refer patients with or without dermatoscopic images, which were reviewed remotely by consultant dermatologists. Urgent cases received photo access within 48 hours, allowing for rapid triage and diagnosis aligned with British Association of Dermatologists guidelines.
Dermatology review waitlists dropped from 560 days to just two, with 69% of two-week wait referrals and 48% of overall referrals managed outside of secondary care. Patients benefited from faster diagnoses and reduced anxiety, while primary care teams received specialist guidance to manage cases locally, enhancing capacity and improving outcomes across the system.
“I’ve just opened case 239. This lesion has been referred as urgent. It is actually a high-risk, nodular melanoma. Once a melanoma starts to get to this thickness, survival rates start to fall quickly, and any delays to treatment start to have more of an impact. If this patient had been sent to the hospital as the GP requested, it may have taken months to be seen. As we have photos for assessment, the case can be upgraded and will now be seen and given initial treatment within two weeks – this could make all the difference to the patient’s outcome.”
Consultant Dermatologist
Neurodiversity assessments
Access to autism and ADHD services is under significant pressure. There are currently over 236,000 people waiting for an autism assessment, 89% beyond the recommended 13-week timeframe. It’s estimated that there are up to 668,000 people waiting for an ADHD assessment in England alone.
While not every person who may want or need a diagnosis, for those that do, these delays impact getting they answers they need and postpone essential post-diagnostic care.
Xyla is working with NHS partners and local authorities to reduce waiting times through its clinician-led neurodevelopmental services. Offering both NHS-supported and private assessments, Xyla provides timely diagnoses and personalised post-diagnostic support plans, including therapy, coaching and community signposting. With remote access and no referral needed, Xyla helps providers deliver needs-led, person-centred care.
From hospital to community
The NHS is shifting towards decentralised care through neighbourhood health hubs that integrate diagnostics, mental health, rehabilitation and nursing support. These hubs bring services closer to where people live, improving access, continuity and outcomes. As this model evolves, providers need agile, well-supported teams to deliver care across diverse settings.
Building resilient teams for integrated care
Sustainable care delivery depends on resilient, well-supported teams, but many providers face challenges with fragmented staffing. Faced with rising agency costs and strict NHS England spending targets, five NHS Trusts across North Central London partnered with Acacium Group to transform their temporary workforce strategy. Through a clinically-led, supply chain-driven approach, the programme delivered measurable results in cost reduction, compliance and workforce stability.
Between June 2023 and June 2025, the Trusts collectively saved £4.9 million in agency staffing costs. In the 2024/25 financial year alone, 43% of agency demand was filled by Tier 0 partners, removing over 5,900 shifts from external agency reliance. The programme also achieved an average cost reduction of £78.54 per shift and helped all five Trusts stay below NHS England’s mandated agency cap.
Rapid discharge and step-down care
Improving patient flow is essential to NHS sustainability but workforce shortages, delayed social care packages and fragmented discharge pathways mean many people stay in hospital longer than they need to. To address this, Chesterfield Royal NHS Trust partnered with Pulse Nursing at Home and Xyla to deliver a fully managed discharge and step-down care service that supported safe, timely transitions from hospital to home.
The service was designed to reduce delayed discharges by mobilising trained healthcare assistants to deliver personalised care in the community. Working closely with hospital teams, Pulse Nursing at Home coordinated tailored care packages that met clinical needs while supporting recovery in familiar surroundings.
Xyla, part of Acacium Group, provided additional wraparound support, including pathway coordination and oversight to ensure continuity of care. This integrated model improved patient experience, reduced length of stay and freed up inpatient capacity, helping the Trust manage demand more effectively and reduce pressure on acute services.
Community-based complex care packages
Community-based care plays a vital role in supporting people with long-term or complex conditions. When 24-year-old Liam, living with advanced cerebral palsy, wished to spend his final days at home; Pulse Nursing at Home made it possible.
Despite severe clinical deterioration, the correct package of care, delivered by an expert workforce, ensured Liam could remain at home without the need for hospital admission. The team provided round-the-clock care with compassion and professionalism, allowing Liam to pass away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. This approach not only offered dignity and comfort to Liam and his family but also reduced pressure on hospital services. For providers, delivering care in the community strengthens clinical expertise and reinforces their reputation for person-centred care.
From treatment to prevention
Healthcare providers are shifting focus from reactive treatment to proactive prevention, tackling health inequalities and improving long-term outcomes. Acacium Group supports this transition with scalable services and data-driven tools that help providers reach more people, earlier.
Structured lifestyle and behaviour change programmes
Targeted interventions can reduce the burden of chronic disease and improve population health. Xyla delivers tailored programmes in smoking cessation, diabetes prevention and weight management designed to meet local needs and drive measurable impact.
In East Riding, the Integrated Healthier Futures Programme processed over 2,000 referrals, with 75% of weight management participants completing the programme and over half of smokers setting a quit date. By combining behavioural science, digital tools and personalised support, these programmes help people live healthier lives and reduce pressure on overstretched systems.
Access to an expert workforce
The flexible clinical workforce plays a vital role in helping healthcare providers respond quickly to changing demands. Whether responding to public health crises like the pandemic, supporting the decentralisation of clinical trials, or scaling national screening programmes like the Targeted Lung Health Check, rapid access to trained staff enables providers to mobilise safely, efficiently and at pace. These adaptable teams help maintain continuity, uphold clinical standards and extend reach into communities, especially where traditional models may struggle to operate.
A strong example of this in action is Acacium Group’s delivery of for Our Future Health, the UK’s largest health research programme. In partnership with Pharmacy 2U and EMS Healthcare, Acacium Group mobilised over 500 healthcare professionals to staff 293 mobile hubs and 19 fixed sites nationwide. These teams facilitated more than 795,000 appointments and collected over 786,000 blood samples, ensuring full staffing seven days a week.
Despite the scale and complexity, the programme achieved a 99.5% success rate across seven quality criteria, helping Our Future Health reach diverse communities and accelerate progress toward its goal of recruiting five million volunteers by 2030.
Delivering on the 10-year health plan
Meeting the ambitions of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan requires trusted partnerships and proven delivery. Whether you are looking to mobilise your workforce, scale innovation, or build integrated, patient-centred services, we are here to help turn ambition into action.
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