Stethoscope against a digital backdrop - Building a healthcare system fit for the future | DXC Customer Story

Industry Spotlights | April 10, 2025

Building a healthcare system fit for the future

A well-functioning health and social care system is the backbone of a thriving society.

In the UK, health and care services encompass everything from frontline medical treatment provided by the National Health Service (NHS) to social support systems that assist vulnerable individuals in daily life.

These services ensure that people receive the care they need, when they need it, whether that’s urgent medical attention, long-term rehabilitation, or community-based support.

 

Keeping the people of Britain healthy

The health and care services in the UK operate through a complex network of healthcare providers, social care professionals, local authorities and government departments, each working in tandem to meet the needs of the population.

The effectiveness of these services depends not only on the professionals delivering them but also the policies, infrastructure and funding that keep them running smoothly.

The Department of Health and Social Care plays a vital role in the UK’s health and social care, aiming to help people live healthier, more independent lives for longer.

Strategy, direction, impact

At the heart of this system is the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). While it doesn’t directly provide medical treatment, it is instrumental in setting the strategy, enacting legislation and monitoring the efficiency of health services nationwide.

Through funding allocation, oversight and technological advancements, the DHSC enables the operation of the UK’s healthcare system, ensuring that resources are used effectively and that patient care remains a top priority.

“We want the service to be as good as it can be to let our team within the department do what they need to," said Philip Thompson, Deputy Director of Technology Services at DHSC.

As one of the most fast-paced and rapidly evolving departments in government, the DHSC is central to the UK’s mission of “building an NHS fit for the future.” Keeping it running efficiently is critical to the nation’s health.

The UK government’s five missions to rebuild Britain

  1. Kickstart economic growth
  2. Make Britain a clean energy superpower
  3. Take back our streets
  4. Break down barriers to opportunity
  5. Build an NHS fit for the future

Keeping the NHS funded

Simply put, if the DHSC encounters challenges with its HR or finance systems, the NHS doesn’t receive funding. “We’re approving cases for machinery, equipment, and services that affect people’s lives,” explains Phil. “An obstacle for us means an obstacle for Parliament because the Secretary of State and our ministers use DHSC technology to deliver their parliamentary obligations.”

Without the DHSC’s systems, it would be hard to measure the impact of policies or ensure funding reaches frontline services. And there would be a lack of transparency regarding healthcare spending.

The DHSC uses analytics and data-driven insights to evaluate and refine its policies.

The role of technology in modern healthcare

Recognizing the need for greater efficiency, the DHSC sought to enhance its ability to track and analyze healthcare service delivery. It wanted real-time access to data and deeper insights into its effectiveness. However, while the DHSC’s systems had evolved over time, much of its core technology was 10–12 years old and needed an overhaul. 

So, the department sought a technology partner to help drive transformation: transformation that would enable it to build and deliver on the 10-year health plan, one of the government’s key priorities for the next five years.

That’s where DXC came in. What began as a traditional supplier–client relationship evolved into a true partnership built on collaboration and a shared vision.

“It’s a partnership based on a shared understanding of why we're delivering and the shared approach to what we're delivering,” said Phil. “We wanted someone to sit and work with us, work alongside us, and deliver what's needed for DHSC.”

With DXC as a trusted partner, the DHSC has modernized its operations, eliminated legacy roadblocks and created a more agile, data-driven healthcare system.

Inside the DHSC's transformation

The partnership has revolutionised the way the DHSC is able to provide and monitor its vital health and social care operations. As Phil highlights, “The service desk agent can now actually see what went on for any given user at any given time: this helps them to be more precise and quicker to diagnose and fix any issues.”

For customers, this means an easier way to make requests through the DHSC portal, with real-time tracking and access to a centralized knowledge base for the first time.

“One of the really appealing things about the DXC solution is the level of automation, the level of insights, and in particular things like self-healing technology: the ability to automatically diagnose a problem and actually deploy a patch and fix it,” said Thompson.

On the technical side, DXC is helping the DHSC fully migrate the consolidate service management into a single toolset. This eliminates the need to merge data from multiple sources, improving efficiency and security. 

With no legacy infrastructure, the DHSC’s systems will be more resilient and secure against cyber threats.

Far-reaching change

The improvements don’t stop there. As part of the partnership, the DHSC and DXC are introducing technologies to better understand the user journey from a technical perspective. And putting in customer surveying to help better understand the sentiment around users’ particular interactions with its services.

"We want the ability to look at what's actually going on in real-time at any moment,” said Thompson. “This gives us a better view of the human side of the customer experience, rather than just the technical side.” 

By transforming the way it operates, the DHSC has reinforced its role as the backbone of the UK’s health and social care system. This includes:

  • Modernizing the way users can get help
  • Introducing self-service capabilities – eliminating lengthy email chains and service desk calls
  • Enhancing turnaround times for incidents and requests
  • Gaining real-time insights and analytics powered by AI
  • Enabling continuous improvements and understanding of service delivery
  • Implementing chatbots for streamlined support

 

The big picture

The transformation of the DHSC’s systems is a testament to the impact of modern technology in driving efficiency at scale. But this is more than just an IT upgrade—it’s about ensuring that people receive the vital health and care services they need, in the most effective way possible.

It's also a great example of how DXC’s expertise in digital transformation helps keep the world and its industries working—whether by enhancing healthcare systems, optimizing supply chains or securing critical infrastructure.

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