Turning NHS Digital Investment Into Frontline Productivity and Better Patient Care
28 April 2026Turning NHS Digital Investment Into Frontline Productivity and Better Patient Care
28 April 2026
New NHS research from Apogee: Time Back. Care Forward.
Turning NHS digital investment into frontline productivity and better patient care
The NHS is being asked to deliver sustained productivity growth as part of its 10-year plan. Yet across trusts, time continues to be lost in the everyday reality of work.
Based on Freedom of Information data from NHS organisations, this new research reveals how small, repeated inefficiencies are costing over £1 billion a year — and, crucially, how that time can be returned to frontline care.
The NHS has made significant progress in digitisation. The challenge now is delivering impact — turning systems into measurable gains in productivity, patient flow and workforce efficiency.
Created for NHS leaders responsible for operational performance, productivity and transformation — including COOs, operational directors, digital leaders and finance teams — this report draws on 244 FOI responses from NHS Trusts to identify where the productivity gap remains, and how time is lost across accessing systems, moving information and reaching patients.
These are not isolated issues, but patterns embedded in the day-to-day flow of work — shaping how much care the system can deliver.
This report explores:
- Where NHS time is being lost — and why it is not always visible
- The operational impact of fragmented systems and hybrid processes
- How workflow friction affects patient care and staff productivity
- What high-performing trusts are doing differently
- How to turn lost time into usable clinical capacity
Built on analysis of NHS Trust data, this report provides a clear, evidence-led view of the NHS productivity gap — and how it can be addressed in practice to create better staff and patient experiences.
Every minute matters. This report shows where time is being lost — and how to get it back.
Per staff member per day
Hours lost per year
In lost productivity
Equivalent to:
20,000 NHS staff
40 million patient appointments
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