We deserve more than promises!

1​1 July 2025

The ambitious plans for the NHS outlined last week by PM Keir Starmer offer a tantalising blueprint for the future of health and care across the UK however much needs to be done to create the conditions for change according to Tom Morton, founder and chair of Glasgow-based digital innovation specialists Archangel.

“Ultimately, our population deserves more than promises,” explained Tom “and, whilst last week’s pronouncement has the best intentions, the creation of a culture that can easily absorb change and an environment that demonstrates proactive, preventive and joined up thinking are vital first steps.

“Together with the ADASS and TSA Blueprint for Adult Social Care, the Chancellor’s recent Spending Review and the Scottish Service Review framework, these point to a possible future for person-centred, digitally enabled public services.

“As a taxpayer and advocate for better outcomes, I fully support the transformative intent of these strategies but I also feel compelled to ask: can our people wait until 2028? Can we really afford to delay the delivery of care, dignity and warmth?

“This is about more than reform. It’s about how we support people right now. Talk to frontline professionals, and you’ll hear a mix of pride, purpose, and exhaustion. Talk to families and individuals navigating today’s services and the frustration is palpable.

“Behind every well intentioned policy unveiling lies real people whether they are older adults in hospital with no safe discharge plan, people living with complex needs that are shuffled between teams and forced to tell their story over and over again or tenants in cold, unsuitable housing without access to basic tech that could help them stay safe, warm, and independent.

“Everyone deserves high-quality, cost-effective and safe care. Everyone deserves a warm, affordable and comfortable home and everyone deserves a system that works for them, not against them.

“Culture and delivery must move together in lock step. Many professionals already know what needs to change. What’s harder, and slower, is achieving the cultural transformation that sits behind funding alignment, risk sharing and local autonomy.

“We’ve seen this already, in Scotland with Integration Joint Boards (IJBs). Despite nearly a decade of effort, the structural potential remains undermined by split financial incentives, disparate decision-making and a persistent sense of “my budget versus your outcome”.

“Unless we tackle these dynamics head-on, and build delivery models that incentivise collaboration, not fragmentation, we risk repeating the same cycle, again and again. Of course, we also need to be mindful of digital approaches to be future proofed in order to take account of the growing influence and adoption of AI technologies.

“The Technology Enabled Care (TEC) community is a critical enabler of safe, cost-effective, dignified support. From digital care coordination to remote monitoring, proactive maintenance to personal alarms, TEC solutions are ready, proven, and scalable.

“We already have examples of success! The DSIT-funded project at Bield Housing & Care, independently evaluated by FarrPoint, shows what’s possible and is delivering enhanced tenant safety and wellbeing, empowering staff with better tools and insights and resulting in smarter use of shared infrastructure to reduce duplication and accelerate delivery.

“This is transformation in practice, achieved through partnership between housing, TEC providers, and government. These are the kind of tangible, measurable models we must scale,” added Tom.