Electric Vehicle (EV) Charge Point Operator (CPO) Believ is welcoming the BSI PAS 1899 review and updated recommendations as an important milestone in industry coming together to improve access of EV charging for all drivers, including those with diverse accessibility needs.
Three years on from the publication of the PAS 1899 accessible charging guidance, a comprehensive review brought together consumer and disability groups, local authorities, and CPOs, including Believ, to assess how well the standard is working in practice and to recommend improvements for its future development.
Believ was involved in both the technical review group, and the accessible charge point data standard working group, supporting the assessment of the existing requirements.
Key amongst the findings was the need to recognise the differences in charge point installation in built environments and to identify industry implementation advice specific to different scenarios, such as managing the logistical and spatial constraints of on-street charge point installations.
The review usefully addresses the challenges faced by local authorities, businesses, private landlords and CPOs, recognising the complexities and technical limitations of accessibility measures, for example understanding that solutions still need to be further developed regarding charging cable weights.
Believ has already been working with local authorities to improve inclusive EV charging infrastructure in three East London boroughs. Believ has collaborated with the boroughs of Waltham Forest, Newham, and Redbridge, leveraging LEVI funding to trial new on-street EV charging bay designs that enhance accessibility, engaging with customers and advocacy groups to understand real-world barriers and rapidly deploy improvements.
Guy Bartlett, Believ CEO, says he is proud of Believ’s involvement in the review:
“At Believ, we see it as our responsibility to help shape the future of accessible EV charging, and we’re committed to continuing to work with industry to recognise what is possible now, while also highlighting challenges that need to be addressed. Making charging inclusive for every driver is not just a technical challenge—it’s a social responsibility that we take seriously.
“We recognise that there is still more work to do in the industry to further accessibility of EV infrastructure, and Believ is committed to working with our supply chain and actively participate and contribute to developing PAS 1899 and ensuring that no driver is left behind in the EV transition.”
The review also highlights the importance of future engagement with European bodies such as CEN and CENELEC, helping to create more consistent, pan-European accessibility guidance, which Believ views as a positive step towards global accessibility standards for EV infrastructure.
To find out more about Believ’s mission, visit: www.believ.com/
Every crane, cable and concrete pour on a modern construction site is tracked in real time. Yet in the main, the proof of the skills behind them still lives on plastic cards and paper certificates. In a digital age, that’s our weakest link.
While design coordination, logistics and asset management have all become data-driven, one vital element remains stubbornly analogue: how we prove that people are qualified to do their jobs.
And as the UK construction industry races to deliver 1.5 million new homes, decarbonise buildings and close widening skills gaps, trust in workforce data has become key to productivity, safety and reputation.
From plastic cards to living credentials
For decades, traditional certification cards have served as a basic form of identity and competency verification. But the system is straining under modern pressures. Counterfeit cards, inconsistent checking and fragmented records leave employers exposed to compliance risk and costly delays.
Physical cards were designed for a static world. Construction today is anything but static. We need real-time data that verifies a worker’s competence dynamically – not once, years ago, at the point of qualification.
That’s the promise of a digital skills passport: a secure, living record of every worker’s verified qualifications, competencies and safety training, accessible instantly via mobile or cloud-based systems.
Instead of a plastic card, a site manager scans a QR code or opens a profile and sees verified evidence of training, experience and fitness to work. In seconds, they know who’s on site, what each person is qualified to do and when credentials expire.
The result isn’t just administrative efficiency. It’s safer sites, safer workforces, faster onboarding and an industry that can finally trust its own people data.
How the technology works
At the heart of a digital passport is secure, interoperable data infrastructure – built on the same principles that made Building Information Modelling (BIM) transformative. The most advanced systems combine:
Multi-factor authentication and dynamic QR IDs to prevent cloning or screenshots.
Integration with accredited training providers to flag anomalies in real time.
Biometric identity checks to match credentials to individuals.
Live links to governing bodies for instant validation.
Centralised document storage to keep certification evidence within one verified profile.
Together, these technologies create a trusted digital ecosystem that connects people, qualifications and compliance data across employers, projects and supply chains. Causeway platforms already support workforce systems used by more than 600,000 people in the UK – clear evidence that the foundations are laid.
Why it matters now
The call for workforce verification isn’t new. What’s new is the urgency.
The CIOB’s 2025 Capacity Constraints report warns that labour shortages, fragmented data and ageing skills threaten construction’s ability to meet demand.
The Stewart Review of major projects highlighted the same issue in different words: trust and data quality are now as critical to delivery as finance or design.
Meanwhile, a recent RICS Digitalisation Report reported that only 12% of firms use digital tools on all projects, with widespread inconsistency in data sharing and verification.
In short, we can’t build a digital industry on analogue proof.
The shift to digital skills passports mirrors the transformation already underway elsewhere: BIM unifying design data, digital twins monitoring asset performance, and AI optimising planning and maintenance. Workforce data must now become part of that same connected ecosystem.
A foundation for digital construction
A verified digital workforce profile does more than improve safety. It accelerates productivity, strengthens compliance and builds confidence across complex supply chains.
It gives contractors a single version of the truth about their people, enabling smarter deployment, targeted training and faster mobilisation.
And it helps workers themselves by turning qualifications into a portable, trusted asset that supports their career.
If construction is serious about modernisation, this is the next logical step. The technology is proven. The standards are emerging. What’s needed now is collective adoption.
Because the next phase of digital construction isn’t just about modelling buildings – it’s about modelling the workforce that constructs them.
If BIM made our buildings transparent, digital passports will make our people visible – and that visibility builds trust.
The industry has laid the groundwork for a trusted digital system. Now it’s time to build on it.
Awaab’s Law, which came into force on October 27 this year, mandates that social landlords must respond promptly and efficiently to reports of damp, mould, and other emergency hazards.
It establishes clear statutory obligations for housing providers, including stringent response times, investigation procedures, and repair timelines. To comply, landlords must have robust systems in place that ensure timely actions and a clear audit trail.
One of the key obstacles landlords are facing when trying to undertake these duties, is obtaining access to properties to undertake inspections and complete the necessary works.
Siobhan Hardy, Head of Housing Litigation at Forbes, explains: “For many landlords we work with, gaining access to premises where there have been reports of damp or mould is proving a real barrier to them executing their duties.
“In some instances this can arise when tenants refuse access to the property, but in others it may be down to issues like hoarding or condition issues making the specific part of the property inaccessible.
“Our new service is designed to equip landlords with the tools and expertise needed to overcome these barriers and meet their obligations with confidence and ease.”
Non-compliance with Awaab’s Law can expose landlords to significant risks, including enforcement action, regulatory scrutiny, and potential legal consequences.
Forbes’ Awaab’s Law Compliance Service enables prompt action at the pre-action stage, followed by a thorough and effective process to secure an injunction for access, ensuring full compliance with legal requirements.
A new attempt to create a national, longitudinal health record was one of the big ideas in the 10 Year Health Plan. However, the use case and architecture is far from clear, and there are some big commercial issues to address with health tech vendors.
The NHS has a troubled history when it comes to national record and data projects. When the National Programme for IT was launched in 2002, it set out to develop a Summary Care Record that would make data available to clinicians wherever a patient presented for treatment.
England had never had a single database of patient information before, and concerns about security and access effectively scuppered the idea. In 2010, the SCR was scaled back to “hold only the essential medical information needed in an emergency.”
Four years later, NHS England launched the ill-fated care.data project, a plan to create a massive database of secondary and primary care information for planning, research, and commercial exploitation. Amid a huge outcry, and terrible public communications, the idea was scrapped the same year.
A big think tank has a big idea: and the government runs with it
This unhappy history has not put the idea of a single national record to bed. Instead, last summer, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change argued the NHS should try again.
In a report, it argued the UK now has a “mixture of integrated health data sets.” These include the remains of the SCR, and the shared care records which have been developed over the past decade to improve professional access to health and social care at an integrated care system level.
Then, there are data and analysis platforms, including the Federated Data Platform, which NHS England is pushing hard. And there is the NHS App, which has gone through a decade of stop-start investment, while the use of commercial patient held records has gathered pace.
In its report, the TBI argued that what is needed instead is an “integrated, digital, longitudinal health record” to “act as a single source of the truth” and feed portals for care, planning and research, and patient engagement. Incoming health and social care secretary Wes Streeting embraced the idea.
At the launch of the public consultation that led to the 10 Year Health Plan, he pushed the benefits of a “patient passport” that could be accessed by GPs, hospitals and ambulances, while delivering “suitably protected and anonymised” data to researchers and companies to drive growth.
The 10 Year Health Plan duly featured the development of a ‘single patient record.’ However, it didn’t say how the SPR would be architected or set out a timetable for its development. And there is no mention of the idea in last month’s Medium Term Planning Framework, which sets out NHS England’s ‘to do’ list for the next three years.
But what is the use case?
Members of the Highland advisory board were not surprised that the SPR is missing from the framework. Ian Hogan, a chief information officer at a mental health trust, said it’s clear that the SPR is “very much a second phase” project, given the time it will take to clarify its use case, architecture, and funding.
David Hancock, an expert on interoperability, who has been attending industry events on the SPR, said NHS England has spent most of the summer on a “discovery” programme, to find out what different stakeholders might want from it.
This seems to have found that professionals, particularly those working in long-term and emergency care, want more information from other professionals to provide context for their patients; and patients want professionals to have data, so they don’t have to repeat their histories or end up in hospital when they don’t need to.
This, he pointed out, “is the benefit of a shared care record.” So, on the face of it, NHS England could deliver this at a national level “by joining up the 32 shared care records that already exist” fairly easily as long as it picked the right integration model.
Three prototypes
As things stand, though, NHS England is not doing this. Instead, it is developing three prototypes, using different models: a record with its own database; a record taking feeds from other systems (the approach taken by shared care records such as Interweave); and an Uber-style platform that pulls in ‘events’ data, but doesn’t persist it.
David Hancock suggested this might mean NHS England is starting to think about a different use case for an SPR: to support the NHS App. Andy Kinnear, a consultant who pioneered shared care records when he worked in the NHS, agreed.
“A lot of Wes Streeting’s agenda seems to be about making things better for patients; or at least giving them the same kind of consistent digital experience that we get when we use consumer tech,” he said. “It’s going to be hard for the NHS App to do that if the backend is 200 plus systems. It needs something behind it to create that consistent offer.”
What will the architecture look like?
An SPR to backend the NHS App might be useful. But it doesn’t sound much like the TBI’s all-singing, all-dancing digital health record. Nor would it necessarily deliver the direct benefits to care that are being delivered by the more advanced shared care records (like OneLondon, which has focused on care and end of life plans).
Nor would it automatically open up the kind of data that would persuade companies to offer the NHS “cut price deals on medicines” or “priority access to new treatments”, as promised by Wes Streeting. The advisory board found the lack of clarity about the purpose of an SPR frustrating, given the energy and resources that could be directed to it, when the NHS and its IT teams are under so much pressure.
But the real challenge will come when NHS England has to pick a model. “When this gets really tricky is when you say: how do we do the architecture?” said Andy Kinnear. “I think it would be madness to throw away the achievements of the shared care records, but history tells us that governments are always tempted by the idea of working with big companies on big databases.”
Details will matter
Advisory board members also noted that to build an SPR, NHS England will have to grapple with some of the practical issues that have bugged NHS tech projects for years. What standards will the SPR use to ingest and store data? How will its provenance and quality be guaranteed, so clinicians are confident to act on it?
What kind of security wrapper will it have? What will the access controls look like? Nicola Hayward-Cleverly, a former NHS CIO, consultant and non-executive director, pointed out that in some cases, access needs to be opened-up. The NHS App is still trialling proxy access for the families of frail elderly people, and the parents of children.
In other cases, it needs to be locked down. She gave the example of accessing the data of a serving member of the forces. “We need to work out how to get information out, securely, to where people happen to be, in the context they happen to be in.”
Entrepreneur Ravi Kumar said he has proxy access to the records of some of his elderly relatives in India. But then: “My relatives used to take their paper records to the hospital, and now they just hand over their phone number so anyone behind the desk can call them up. Would that be acceptable here?”
The historical reaction to the idea of a national shared care record, and the work that regional projects have had to do since to win support for their work “data field by data field, clinician by clinician, use case by use case,” as Andy Kinnear put it, suggests it wouldn’t be acceptable.
And it’s notable that the medical and privacy groups that opposed care.data and the FDP are already warning that Wes Streeting’s vision for the SPR will “unavoidably create a vulnerable database, the content of which can be shared with drug companies.”
Health tech companies will want to talk commercials
Another challenge is that an SPR will have commercial implications. David Hancock pointed out that, at some point, vendors may be told they have to integrate with the new record. “What happens when you find that some suppliers will do that quite happily and quite easily, but others won’t?” he asked.
“Do you pay them? Do you create infrastructure to make it easier? Do you support them if they need to re-platform their systems?” Various members of the advisory board pointed out that as things stand vendors can make it difficult or prohibitively expensive for third parties to integrate with their systems, slowing the exchange of information, and blocking innovation.
Imaging expert Rizwan Malik argued the NHS should just be tougher about this. “We should start from first principles, which is that we have lots of data locked up in siloed systems, so how do we unlock them?” he said. “This is our data. We should not allow suppliers to stop us using it.”
He also felt the NHS would be better off creating local, practical use cases for data sharing than going in for another big project, that might not get anywhere. In which case, the best role for government and NHS England would be to stop talking about policy and guidance and start talking brass-tacks on issues like standards and APIs.
Not a quick fix
Overall, the advisory board felt there is a need for clarity about the use case for an SPR, its architecture, and how the NHS and its suppliers will be expected to engage with it. Advisory board chair Jeremy Nettle said sorting out these issues will be possible, but it will not be quick.
“It will be possible to create a database, a data layer, or a backbone, but you won’t just be able to put it in,” he said. “It will take five or ten years.” Which will be well into the next Parliament: a lifetime in the rise and fall of big IT projects.
UK trade association AXREM and health tech growth specialist Highland have extended their partnership for two further years, reaffirming a shared commitment to supporting growth across the UK’s diagnostic and health technology markets.
AXREM represents member companies that collectively provide the majority of diagnostic medical imaging and radiotherapy equipment used in UK hospitals. The association has grown substantially in recent years, now also including suppliers of health IT, AI, digital pathology, teleradiology and patient monitoring equipment. It provides an influential voice for the diagnostic and health tech community, working to facilitate collaboration across the sector on shared priorities and challenges.
Sally Edgington
Highland, formerly known for nearly a quarter of a century as Highland Marketing, partners with health tech companies to drive growth. The company has driven many successful brands in the health tech sector, and revealed its own updated identity in October, in reflection of how it supports success in the sector with much more than traditional marketing. Health tech companies work with Highland to identify their market opportunities, to convince key target audiences in healthcare, and to grow their business by getting directly in front of decision makers.
Since the partnership began in 2024, AXREM and Highland have worked together to deliver best-practice support to AXREM members, including a popular webinar series focused on brand building, communications, and industry storytelling.
AXREM members have also been able to leverage Highland’s services to get directly in front of NHS decision makers from board to ward, stimulating new business opportunities. The renewed agreement will build on this foundation, with new initiatives designed to enhance visibility and influence.
Sally Edgington, chief executive officer at AXREM, said: “Our members are delivering technologies that are fundamental to the future of healthcare. Extending our partnership with Highland will ensure we continue to equip them with the tools, insight, and support needed to tell their stories effectively and demonstrate their value to the health and care system.”
Mark Venables, chief executive officer at Highland, said: “We’re very pleased to extend our collaboration with AXREM for another two years. AXREM plays a vital role in uniting and representing a sector that is crucial to the delivery of modern healthcare. Highland’s mission is to help health tech organisations find new opportunities, convince target audiences, grow and make an impact. We look forward to engaging with more AXREM members to help them deliver.”
By Graham Jarvis, Freelance Business and Technology Journalist
It’s that time of year again. The festive Christmas lights are about to be turned on in the high streets to welcome shoppers, enticing them to buy presents for their loved ones. However, not all the festive commerce occurs in physical stores. Adobe reports that consumers spent by $241.4 billion online between 1st November 2024 and 31st December 2024 – “up 8.7% year-over-year (YoY) and setting a new record for e-commerce.”
The company says consumers spent more than $4 billion in a single day, and m-commerce – mobile shopping – “hit a new milestone, with the majority of online transactions (54.5%) taking place through a smartphone this season (up from 51.1% in 2023).” The highest amount of mobile shopping occurred on Christmas Day itself – involving 65% of online sales in 2024, compared to 65% of them the previous year.
Three categories dominate
Over half of the purchases came from 3 categories: electronics, apparel and furniture of home goods. However, the strongest growth was in the shopping of groceries and cosmetics, which grew between 12.2 and 12.9%. “Other categories with notable growth this season included sporting goods ($7.8 billion, up 7.4% YoY) and toys ($8.2 billion, up 7.8% YoY)”, says its release.
Google AI reveals that even in the UK, 30% of all Christmas sales occurs online with ecommerce volumes being considerably higher than average in the last quarter of the year. It finds that in December 2023, UK shoppers spent £11.2bn online, and “online purchases accounted for 28% of overall retail spending throughout December 2023.”
Christmas Day shopping
With Christmas being front of mind and the need to make savings, Black Friday and Cyber Monday remain a major ecommerce driver because shoppers are shopping earlier to catch the bargains. However, as with Adobe’s research, ecommerce is particularly dominant on Christmas Day, “accounting for about 79% of purchases, as most physical stores are closed” – part citing Megan Robinson’s November 2024 article for Retail Week, ‘UK shoppers are expected to spend £86bn over the festive season, despite a cautious amount of spending over Christmas.’
With this increase in online activity, which also impacts businesses – particularly those involve in ecommerce and m-commerce – data centres often surge in usage. It’s not all about shopping for Christmas presents, and that’s because people want to connect with each other, stream videos, make video calls and play online games.
Data centre surges and outages
However, as they operate on a 24/7 basis, they don’t necessarily see a huge increase in power consumption. The season, nevertheless, can mean that they will experience higher workloads over the festive period, due to increased activity. Unlike the many traditional businesses, data centres don’t close for Christmas. They need to maintain uptime. They are, in effect, like Santa’s sleigh because so many people – consumers and businesses alike – rely upon them to deliver digital services or eventually, as a result of an online order, physical products.
So, while it would be hard to give an exact figure for the financial and economic impact that any data centre downtime might have over the festive period, general estimates from sources like Gartner and BladeRoom Data Centres place the cost of downtime at approximately $5,600 to $9,000 per minute. On top of this, businesses as well as data centres could suffer from other types of damaging impact, such as reputational damage and the loss of customer trust.
But do data centres experience outages at Christmas? Well ,the potential risk is not without precedent. Some data centres have, in the past, experienced significant outages. For example, in 2012, Amazon Web Services (AWS) experienced an outage on Christmas Eve, which lasted 20 hours. Reports explain that the outage was caused by human error and flawed access controls when a developer accidentally deleted a data set. It left millions of Netflix subscribers unable to stream content during peak viewing times.
Human error is not the only cause of outages – not only at Christmas but at any time of the year. In 2015, Vodafone UK’s data centre in Leeds, England, suffered an outage over the Christmas weekend. It was caused by flooding when waters from the River Aire reached the facility. The data centre had to run on emergency power, which eventually failed, due to the encroachment of the floodwaters. Weather conditions delayed engineers from being able to restore voice and data services, which were subsequently operating intermittently and which affected its customers in the North-East. This is because the weather conditions made access to the data centre difficult.
Mind your cyber-stocking
David Trossell
While there are no reports of major cyber-attacks causing data centre outages at Christmas, the season does attract cyber-criminals. So, like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s a period of caution because the threat level to businesses and to consumers is significant. One is that there are often fewer staff available to monitor systems and to respond to cyber-threats. This leaves companies and organisations open to potential attacks because of less rigorous security monitoring – giving hackers an opportunity to strike unnoticed.
Cyber-security firm, Darktrace, reports in 2021: “[Our] security researchers discovered a 30% increase in the average number of attempted ransomware attacks globally over the holiday season in every consecutive year from 2018 to 2020, compared to the monthly average.” The company found that attackers know that organisations may be more likely to pay a ransom quickly to avoid operational disruptions during their busiest sales periods.
While email phishing attacks will play the most major role in cyber-attacks as the biggest threat, there are also online shopping scams, social engineering attacks, insider threats and malware attacks to consider. All of these can have a significant impact on individual and organisations – including on data centres. So, all organisations need to put in place robust cyber-security policies that aim to forestall any kind of cyber-attack. They also need to put in place contingency planning – even for when the cause of an outage is human error or a natural disaster.
Back up, back up!
One key less is not so much about avoiding putting all your eggs in one basket, but about ensuring that your data centre, company or organisations backs up in at least 3 locations. David Trossell, CEO and CTO of Bridgeworks, which recently won the Technology Innovation of the Year at the UK
IT Awards, remarks: “It’s important to ensure that during the festive season data is backed up, and that each disaster recovery site is located outside of their own circles of disruption to enable service continuity whenever any kind of outage occurs.” With backups in place and WAN Acceleration, it’s possible to rapidly failover to maintain services.
While the most prevalently used technology today is the SD-WAN, it often needs a WAN Acceleration overlay to mitigate latency and packet loss. Not only does it boost bandwidth utilisation, but it also enables faster data transfers – whether an SD-WAN is involved or not. One real-world example involved replicating a 2020GB data file in just 25 minutes – 4 times faster than without any acceleration, and so WAN Acceleration offers significant improvements in recovery time objectives (RTOs), and it can enable a big to stay operational or get back to business rapidly.
When there is so much at stake at Christmas, in terms of sales and reputations, he says investing in technology that can improve business and service continuity is the best insurance policy. From a cyber-security perspective, WAN Acceleration can also obfuscate cyber-criminals. It’s therefore the WAN you want, enabling the ecommerce and data centre magic of Christmas. Upon that note, Bridgeworks wishes everyone a safe, happy Christmas and New Year.
By Mark Scrivens, FPT UK Chief Executive Officer, FPT Corporation
Mark Scrivens
Although diagnosis can be one of the great challenges in healthcare, once a healthcare plan is developed, we naturally assume that patients take the medications that clinicians prescribe for them. However, this could not be further from reality. In fact, medication non-adherence represents one of UK healthcare’s most persistent and costly challenges.
Whilst the scale of medication adherence in the UK has not been recently reported, a 2018 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimated that poor adherence results in 200,000 premature deaths in Europe each year. The financial fallout from medication non-adherence is also huge, with approximately $100-300 billion in avoidable US healthcare costs each year through unused medications, tests and excessive healthcare provider visits.
The fundamental cause of this epidemic is fragmented communication between patients and healthcare providers. When medical devices and applications operate in isolation, this cannot provide a connected ecosystem that supports sustained patient engagement and adherence.
As part of the digital transformation in healthcare, there may now be a breakthrough to the crisis, via a comprehensive Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) ecosystem.
Building a comprehensive IoMT ecosystem
In order to best illustrate such a solution that can address the problem of medication non-adherence, we can look at how a leading multinational technology manufacturer with operations across more than 40 countries developed a comprehensive Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) ecosystem to address the issue.
This was based on three core strategic pillars designed to transform patient care delivery:
· Setting up a unified IoMT ecosystem
The foundation of the solution involved creating a seamless communication network that connected all healthcare stakeholders. This unified ecosystem integrates compliant medical applications with intelligent IoMT devices, enabling unprecedented data sharing capabilities while maintaining strict adherence to international healthcare standards, including HL7 FHIR, HITRUST r2, and HIPAA compliance.
· Designing a patient-centric mobile application
The team designed a patient-centric mobile application that would allow patients to actively participate in their own healthcare journey. Through this app, patients can log medication schedules, share progress with healthcare providers and, most importantly, track their adherence patterns in real-time. The platform features intelligent alert systems with customisable reminder options delivered via a variety of channels – SMS, in-app notifications, and email. This allows patients to tailor their medication reminders according to their communication preferences.
· Intelligent and insightful medical decision-making
Taking healthcare beyond patient engagement, the app offers clinicians authorised access to patient data, which drives more intelligent and informed medical decision-making. Pharmaceutical companies can also benefit from valuable insights while receiving regulated software solutions that comply with stringent requirements for protecting patient information and processing data.
Through this multi-stakeholder approach, all appropriate stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem can utilise shared data to improve patient outcomes while maintaining high standards of privacy and security.
The benefits of patient-centered digital health technology
The implementation of this comprehensive IoMT solution delivered significant improvements across many healthcare metrics, including:
Retention rate – The patient-centric mobile application achieved an impressive 89% retention rate, significantly higher than the typical retention rate of healthcare applications. This retention rate suggests that patients derive sustained value from the platform, with potential for long-term changes in healthcare behaviour.
Patient engagement – Most significantly, patient engagement with the application resulted in medication adherence rates reaching 75%. This achievement is down to the platform’s reminder systems, progress tracking capabilities, and patient empowerment features in encouraging consistent medication compliance.
Data-driven treatment decisions – In generating real-time and accurate patient data, clinicians are able to make more informed, data-driven treatment decisions. Healthcare providers can now access comprehensive patient medication patterns, adherence trends, and outcome metrics. This means more personalised treatment plan adjustments and can enable medication reviews and proactive intervention strategies. This visibility into patient behaviours supports more effective care coordination and potentially better health outcomes across patient populations.
Harnessing clinical research data – Beyond immediate patient care improvements, the platform serves as a valuable tool for gathering clinical research data, enabling advances in medical treatment and understanding to make future improvements in medication management strategies.
The future is connected healthcare
This successful IoMT implementation highlights that comprehensive, patient-centric digital health solutions can meaningfully address the crisis of medication non-adherence. By creating seamless connections between patients, providers, devices, and pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organisations can achieve measurable improvements in patient engagement and outcomes while significantly cutting healthcare costs such as inappropriate or cancelled appointments and medication wastage.
With a medication adherence rate of 75%, this patient-centric app translates to saving lives and improving the UK’s healthcare system. For UK healthcare leaders, it means at last building a holistic ecosystem that supports regulatory compliance and data-driven patient-centered healthcare that benefits citizens and healthcare practitioners throughout the patient journey.
Britain’s Armed Forces will be better equipped, and small British defence businesses will grow rapidly as the Government boosts investment into innovative drone systems this year.
UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) – launched earlier this year – will inject over £142 million rapid investment into drones and anti-drone weapons this year, its first year in operation.
This includes around £30 million investment this year into counter-drone technology to protect the UK homeland and allies, in the face of increasing Russian-linked drone incursions across Europe.
UKDI was launched by Defence Secretary John Healey MP in July this year to be the focal point for innovation within the Ministry of Defence, backed by a ringfenced annual budget of at least £400 million. It takes a new approach, using different ways of contracting, to enable UK companies to scale up innovative prototypes rapidly.
While many of the companies involved remain anonymous, the drones investment this year includes 20 British SMEs, 11 British ‘Micro-SMEs’, and 2 British Academic institutions.
The rapid investment delivers on the Strategic Defence Review which set out how the UK must take the lessons from the war in Ukraine – such as rapidly advancing drones and unmanned systems – to put the UK’s Armed Forces at the leading edge of innovation in NATO.
John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence, said:
“After years of hollowing out and underfunding, I am determined to put Britain’s Armed Forces, and British businesses, at the leading edge of defence innovation.
“The Strategic Defence Review was clear that we must learn the lessons of the war in Ukraine, which is why we’re surging investment into drone and counter drone systems. Russia’s continued bombardment of Ukrainian civilians and their grey-zone drone incursions across Europe show why this drone drive is so urgent.
“In a new era of threat, this rapid investment will make the UK secure at home and strong abroad, while making defence an engine for growth, ensuring the UK is the best place in the world to start and grow a defence business.”
Specific examples of this year’s investment includes:
Investment of over £25 million delivering a new Royal Navy uncrewed AI submarine ‘Excalibur’, which will play a key role defending against Putin’s fleet as part of the transformative Atlantic Bastion programme to establish a new hybrid Navy. Excalibur was recently unveiled in Portsmouth alongside other capabilities forming part of the Atlantic Bastion programme.
£20 million to support development of additional laser weapons to complement the UK’s ‘DragonFire’ system. This follows the signing of a £300m contract to install the first DragonFire anti-drone systems onto Type 45 destroyers from 2027, five years earlier than previously planned, creating and sustaining almost 600 jobs across the country.
£7.5 million for a new uncrewed helicopter, part of the Royal Navy’s move towards future ‘hybrid air wing’ aircraft carriers, with flight trials already underway. The project will deliver one of the world’s first full-sized autonomous helicopters.
£12 million to support development of an air-launched collaborative Uncrewed Air Vehicle (UAV), increasing the UK’s effectiveness against air-to-air threats.
£5 million seedcorn investment into prototypes for Land Autonomous Collaborative Platforms – such as autonomous drones to support British Army Apache helicopters.
The rapid investment into emerging British uncrewed systems businesses comes alongside further commitments to industry through the Defence Industrial Strategy that the UK aims to be the best place in the world to launch and grow a defence business.
For example, Ukraine’s largest drone manufacturer, Ukrspecsystems, recently announced £200 million investment to create a new drone factory and training site in East Anglia, creating up to 500 jobs and apprenticeships.
The head of the Armed Forces will issue a rallying cry this evening to the nation to build Britain’s resilience in the face of growing threats and uncertainty.
The Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Richard Knighton will set out how a whole-nation response is needed in a more volatile and uncertain world.
In a speech setting out his priorities of readiness, people and transformation, he will talk about the need to increase the nation’s resilience in the face of increasing threats. Far from being an issue just for defence, he will detail how the long-term success of the armed forces relies on reconnecting with society: making Defence and resilience part of the national conversation and “a higher national priority for all of us”.
Discussing the threats we face, GPSJ understands he will say:
“The situation is more dangerous than I have known during my career and the response requires more than simply strengthening our armed forces. A new era for defence doesn’t just mean our military and government stepping up – as we are – it means our whole nation stepping up.”
An engineer by background, Sir Richard will most likely reference the recent Royal Academy of Engineering and National Engineering Policy Centre report which highlights an engineering skills gap, as well as recruitment and retention challenges, as an example of a fragile system which must be reinvigorated to ensure the nation can continue to function in a crisis.
Drawing parallels to the skills gaps seen across defence, he is expected to talk about the need to work with industry and young people to identify gaps and build pathways to address them.
He is expected to announce £50 million for new Defence Technical Excellence Colleges, which will support thousands of short courses so that defence employers can upskill new hires and existing staff more quickly.
He is also expected to say: “Five colleges in England, and others across the UK, will gain specialist status and major new funding to train people in the skills needed to secure new defence jobs, and help deliver on the ambitions set out in the SDR.
“In addition to training young people for the new jobs of the future, this funding will also support thousands of short courses so defence employers can upskill existing staff quickly, providing the versatility that they – and we – need.”
On defence spending GPSJ expects him to say:
“I find myself in a position that none of my predecessors during my career have faced, looking at the prospect of the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War. And that is because the price of peace is increasing.”
Highlighting the increased probability of Russia invading a NATO country, he is expected to say:
“The war in Ukraine shows Putin’s willingness to target neighbouring states, including their civilian populations, potentially with such novel and destructive weapons, threatens the whole of NATO, including the UK.
“The Russian leadership has made clear that it wishes to challenge, limit, divide and ultimately destroy NATO, in former President Medvedev’s words, aspiring to “the disappearance of Ukraine and the disappearance of NATO – preferably both.”
Building on the Strategic Defence Review, he will outline the need for a “whole of society” approach to defence and deterrence, to build a “national resilience” to threats.
On resilience, GPSJ expects him to say:
“Our armed forces always need to be ready to fight and win – that’s why readiness is such a priority.
“But deterrence is also about our resilience to these threats, it’s about how we harness all our national power, from universities, to industry, the rail network to the NHS. It’s about our defence and resilience being a higher national priority for all of us. An ‘all-in’ mentality.
And that will require people who are not soldiers, sailors or aviators to nevertheless invest their skills – and money – in innovation and problem solving on the nation’s behalf.”
As part of rebuilding the national resilience, he will speak about the need to rebuild our defence capabilities and the national infrastructure which underpins that resilience.
Closing his speech, the Chief of Defence Staff will be expected to reaffirm the need for action as the uncertainty we face grows greater. He is expected to say:
“We are heading into uncertainty, and that uncertainty is becoming more profound, both as our adversaries become more capable and unpredictable, and as unprecedented technology change manifests itself’.”
ByRichard LaTulip, Field Chief Information Security Officer at Recorded Future
Richard LaTulip
The shape of cybersecurity in the public sector will depend less on how many attacks happen and more on how well agencies can see, manage, and control their systems. Managing vulnerabilities, updating account systems, and using Artificial Intelligence (A)I to support oversight are already converging. Agencies that combine these areas will reduce both risk and cost, while those that don’t may stay reactive and exposed.
Public sector organisations need to move from separate security tools to coordinated, intelligence-driven approaches. The year ahead will bring challenges, but also opportunities for agencies prepared to adapt.
Making patching a core part of defence
Public sector networks are large and often mix old infrastructure with cloud, mobile, and operational technology. By 2026, managing vulnerabilities and applying software updates will move from routine maintenance to a central part of security.
Attackers now exploit unpatched systems very quickly, scanning thousands of devices in minutes. With so many applications, distributed offices, and limited budgets, keeping up with updates can be challenging.
The next step is continuous monitoring and risk-based prioritisation. Instead of occasional checks, agencies will use real-time intelligence that considers both threats and business impact. This helps focus on the weaknesses most likely to be targeted, strengthening security through smart insight rather than sheer volume.
2026 will be the year of supply chain attacks The economic fallout from the Jaguar Land Rover breach – the costliest cyber incident in UK history – showed how a single compromise can disrupt entire communities. Beyond corporate losses, such events affect jobs, local economies, and public confidence. Around 30% of breaches now stem from third-party suppliers, and the risks deepen as threats move through layers of subcontractors and cloud providers. Geopolitical tensions, software vulnerabilities, and misconfigurations add further uncertainty.
To manage this, agencies will need intelligence-driven supply chain oversight – continuous monitoring of supplier exposure, contractual accountability for security standards, and the ability to act swiftly on new intelligence.
Renewed focus on protecting digital access
As government standards for secure login methods and password-free access become more common, public sector organisations face both opportunities and challenges. Stronger login controls
and consistent rules can help prevent account hacking, but making the change isn’t just about installing new technology.
The weakest link is often how identities – staff, contractors, and systems – are managed. Many agencies still rely on old account systems or have unused accounts that create hidden risks. By 2026, cyber attackers are expected to focus more on these account systems themselves.
To stay ahead, agencies should focus on:
● Careful setup and removal of accounts to avoid dormant access
● Ongoing monitoring of staff with high-level access
● Close attention to contractor and vendor accounts
● Connecting identity systems with other IT systems to see where access could pose a risk
Without strong management of accounts and access, modernising login systems may simply shift risks around instead of reducing them.
Tracking digital assets will be a priority
Strong cybersecurity starts with knowing exactly what systems and devices you have. Many public sector organisations still rely on incomplete or outdated inventories. Cloud and hybrid setups can hide forgotten or unmanaged systems, which can become easy targets for attackers.
By 2026, regularly checking and updating asset lists will become standard practice. Tools that automatically discover devices, map networks, and monitor external exposures will help agencies keep an accurate, up-to-date view of their digital environment. The goal goes beyond knowing what exists – it is also essential to understand who owns it, how it’s used, and where it could be vulnerable.
Without this clear picture, even the best security measures may be working in the dark.
A shift towards autonomous defence
Modern public sector systems are complex, and relying on people alone to manage security is no longer practical. AI and automation are becoming essential for spotting threats, prioritising risks, and taking action quickly.
By 2026, AI tools will help identify the most likely vulnerabilities, predict potential attacks, and automatically apply fixes. They can also show how a weakness in one department or supplier could create risks for others.
Even so, automation needs careful oversight. Relying solely on machines can hide mistakes. Agencies will need clear review processes and controls to make sure automation supports decision-making rather than replacing human judgment.
Outlook for 2026
In the coming year, public sector security teams will face pressure to modernise quickly while keeping trust and accountability intact. The agencies best prepared will have three key strengths: a clear view of all their systems and accounts, the ability to focus on the most important risks, and a balance between automated tools and human oversight.
Success in 2026 won’t be about collecting more data, but about understanding it clearly and using it to make smart decisions.
Today’s public sector organisations face unprecedented challenges in training and development. Despite real world risks such as cyber breaches greater than ever before, the UK Government and public sector departments are under pressure to achieve more with less in terms of training their people, stretching limited budgets whilst still delivering quality training.
Government, public sector and, in particular, L&D leaders, need to upskill and reskill workers in order to tackle critical challenges – from digital transformation to leadership development.
In embracing new immersive approaches to train more people, government organisations can save time, reduce expenses, improve worker productivity and satisfaction, whilst meeting their compliance and capacity needs.
Why public sector L&D leaders must improve their training delivery
The world is more unpredictable than ever for government and public sector organisations today. Cyberattacks on national infrastructure, sudden supply chain problems, threats to space and maritime assets, healthcare systems that are pushed to their limits, and regulatory scrutiny that is getting stricter all the time – there has never been more pressure to be ready.
Organisations face a critical skills shortage requiring rapid and effective upskilling and retraining of their workforces. Remote and hybrid work models are becoming permanent fixtures. It’s no surprise that time consuming traditional training methods are increasingly seen as ineffective, with workers disengaged.
Coupled with standard online training tools leading to poor attention, limited retention, and reduced application of learning, training is neither time nor cost efficient.
The limitations of Learning Management Systems (LMS)
Whilst there is a place for Learning Management Systems (LMS) – they are great for sending out information and keeping track of compliance, making sure that everyone finishes the required training modules – they have serious limitations when it comes to situations where real-world decisions can mean life or death.
Organisations have a hard time connecting LMS use to real-world results, lower risk, higher productivity, or higher value. People are rarely tested on how well they work together, prioritise, and handle stress in high-stakes situations.
In the public sector, finishing an online module isn’t enough to say that someone is “ready” for real world situations. Immersive training fills this important gap by giving experiences, behavioural insights, and hands-on learning that an LMS alone simply can’t.
How an immersive learning platform transforms training
Advances in cloud technology and immersive platforms have made it much easier to do realistic training by enabling people to train alongside their jobs. This way, it’s business as usual providing critical services while also learning important skills.
Public sector teams can run crisis simulations right in the places where they work with the right people. They can bring together learners from multiple locations in collaborative virtual environments that foster engagement and peer learning.
Training is adaptable, frequent, and team leaders can design tailored immersive learning scenarios that address their specific organisational challenges and objectives. In addition, expert facilitation guides participants through scenarios that build practical skills and knowledge retention. People retain up to 75% of what they learn through immersive experiences, compared to just 10–20% with standard slide presentations.
Most importantly, the platform can reduce training costs by up to 60% and decrease training time while improving outcomes. With advanced analytics that capture data this can create bespoke skills gap analysis and demonstrate its value for future training investment decisions. This means that those who embrace innovative learning solutions stand to gain a significant competitive advantage.
The public sector needs to embrace technology to grow
In today’s world, organisations must show that their teams are skilled and ready, even when under the most pressure. Learning must be based on the real problems teams face, with performance clear and measurable, and improvement constant.
With a blend of the right people and technology, public sector organisations can confidently face the problems of today and tomorrow. Experiential learning gives public sector organisations the power to:
Build and measure operational capabilities with confidence
Strengthen collaboration across agencies and teams
Provide clear assurance to ministers, boards, and regulators
Protect the people and services society depends on every day
In addition, AI functionality within the platform now provides real time analysis providing greater insight and enabling the analysis and reporting of learning to be achieved within hours and not weeks.
Defining a new era in Government learning
It’s important for L&D leaders to undertake a full assessment of specific training needs to enable them to scale training investments effectively. With the right platform, teams can develop tailored immersive learning scenarios that address their specific organisational challenges and objectives. Advanced analytics can deliver bespoke skills gap analysis and demonstrate return on investment.
Forward thinking organisations aren’t choosing between digital and in-person training; they use both. While digital, cloud-based simulations make sure that people regularly and without interruption build their skills, live crisis workshops build trust, leadership, and a shared understanding of the situation. This mixed approach makes readiness more than just a yearly task; it becomes a strength that grows to counter the changing risks of the future.
The Greater Manchester Institute of Technology (GMIoT) is celebrating two years of driving cutting-edge higher technical education and industry collaboration across the region – with growing student numbers, an expanded employer network, and new course developments aligned to local skills needs.
As one of 21 Institutes of Technology (IoT) across the UK, the GMIoT was established in 2023 to provide Level 4 and 5 higher technical education routes via education and employer partners that meet regional labour market needs.
GMIoT students from Tameside College using state-of-the-art robotic technology
GMIoT was founded as a collaborative partnership between the University of Salford, Wigan & Leigh College, Bury College, Tameside College, and Ada, the National College for Digital Skills.
In its first two years, a total of 1,439 students started programmes ranging from a one year HNC in computing to a five-year degree apprenticeship in nuclear engineering.
A further 802 students began courses in September 2025, bringing the total number to 2,241 since the GMIoT was established in the region.
GMIoT students undertake industry-leading work placements, apprenticeships, and live project experience with major regional and national employers, including Laing O’Rourke, Siemens and GCHQ.
In October 2025, the BBC became the fourth employer partner of the GMIoT, to play a vital role in shaping the region’s digital and technical talent pipeline.
Bridging the gap between industry and education
Each GMIoT employer and education partner helps to co-design the student experience by informing curriculums, hosting events, and providing real-world insight through guest lectures, live briefs, and student projects.
GMIoT students have been invited to visit leading technical centres of innovation, such as the Northern Engineering and Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC) and Energy House at the University of Salford; Laing O’Rourke’s Centre of Excellence for Modern Construction (CEMC); Dock10 Studios in MediaCityUK; Amazon’s robotics enabled fulfillment centre in Bolton.
Wigan & Leigh College’s significant expertise in the energy sector has provided apprenticeship training for key employers such as Sellafield and Electricity North West.
As part of GMIoT, the College, together with the University of Salford, adopted Siemens Connected Curriculum, which provides students and staff with access to industry standard software for advanced manufacturing.
GMIoT has also developed a sustainability programme that all students can participate in. It includes access to carbon literacy training, and was supported by a dedicated sustainability conference in December 2024.
Investment in regional education
In September 2025, Trafford & Stockport College Group became the GMIoT’s sixth education partner – expanding its geographical reach to create more opportunities for people across Greater Manchester.
Since the GMIoT was established, it has spearheaded investment in education partners’ estates and facilities. Highlights include:
The University of Salford’s new £14 million GMIoT building and new technical qualifications in health, construction, and creative digital media.
Wigan & Leigh College invested over £2.1 million in upgrades at its Pagefield Centre, establishing a Centre of Excellence in Engineering, a new Future Energy Zone, and facilities for emerging sectors, such as additive manufacturing, smart manufacturing, and sustainable construction.
Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, established its new base in Ancoats, Manchester, bringing its industry-informed, work-based digital apprenticeships to the region for the first time.
Bury College equipped its new Health and Digital Centre with cutting-edge simulation technologies to meet regional demand for digital health expertise.
Tameside College enhanced facilities in advanced manufacturing and welding, with WorldSkills UK finalists emerging from their engineering and mechatronics courses.
Claire Foreman, Director of GMIoT, commented: “We’re just over two years in, and we’re just getting started. The GMIoT is transforming the regional economy through investment in higher technical education. In just two years, we’ve provided pathways to long-term, skilled careers by aligning our offer directly with employer needs. We are incredibly proud to be playing such a critical role in building a future-ready and future-proof workforce here in Greater Manchester.”
Championing skills investment
GMIoT has worked closely with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) on the creation of the Greater Manchester Local Skills Improvement Plan (GM LSIP).
This includes launching targeted short courses in artificial intelligence, electric vehicle technologies, lean manufacturing, and cybersecurity fundamentals, which help local employers to upskill staff and build new talent pipelines in critical growth sectors.
Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, GMIoT will continue to innovate through new course launches, industry-leading employer events, and expanded outreach to adults and underrepresented groups.
Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, Leader of Bury Council and GMCA portfolio lead for technical education and skills, said: “The GMIoT plays a crucial role in Greater Manchester’s skills system, delivering advanced, specialist technical education that’s shaped by employer demand. Through flexible routes from T Levels to higher technical qualifications and degree apprenticeships, it equips residents with the skills for high-quality careers and helps businesses access the talent they need to innovate and grow.”
HousingAI is a new AI knowledge platform built specifically for the social housing market
HousingAI helps landlords and local authorities to navigate housing law, regulation and best practice
Built from a concept developed by the Healthy Homes Hub the platform will be rolled out to the sector in 2026
Mike Ellis
HousingAI, a new AI knowledge platform built specifically to support the social housing sector in England, has appointed Mike Ellis to the position of Chief Executive ahead of its launch to the sector in 2026.
Mike is an accomplished leader and coach with extensive experience managing public sector transformation initiatives, including projects for NHS England. In addition, he has served as managing director for multiple mid-sized to large companies spanning various industries.
Mike joins as the platform undergoes rigorous testing with representatives from across the sector ahead of becoming available in 2026. Originally a concept developed by the Healthy Homes Hub specifically for the social housing sector, HousingAI will be an expert resource for housing professionals to navigate housing law, regulation and best practice and apply that knowledge to their own policies and day-to-day work.
During 2025 the Hub has been developing the design and functionality of the platform with input from several leading housing providers including Clarion, Aster, Hyde Group and Anchor. It is now established as an independent platform outside of the Hub. Anthony Collins are strategic legal partners for the platform which will be powered by AWS cloud computing services.
Commenting on his appointment, Mike Ellis, Chief Executive of HousingAI said:
“AI can be a game-changer for housing providers and operations, but it has to be AI that works exclusively for the sector. HousingAI was developed specifically for this reason, and I’m excited to help launch it into the sector.
“Constantly updated with the latest housing guidance, legislation and regulations, it will help ensure housing providers are operating correctly and efficiently. It has been built for the sector by the sector, meaning the knowledge it produces and shares is directly relevant and helps users save both time and money.”
Jenny Danson, Chief Executive of Healthy Homes Hub adds:
“Housing provision in the UK is inherently complex and complicated. We had the idea that there is a real opportunity to embrace AI to create compliance, regulatory and policy knowledge in a quick and efficient manner, providing valuable time back to users to spend with the most important part of the sector, the residents. Having refined the proposition with front-line housing professionals we are now delighted to see HousingAI standalone from the Hub and welcome Mike to launch the platform to the sector in collaboration with Anthony Collins and AWS.”
McAvoy has, for the first time, secured a place on Lot 2: Modular & Prefabricated Building Services, within the NHS Commercial Solutions’ £1bn Modular & Prefabricated Building Solutions Framework.
Through this four-year award, public sector clients will be able to access McAvoy’s full suite of expertise to support the delivery of modular buildings across healthcare, education and a wide range of public sector facilities. This includes the design, supply, delivery, installation and maintenance of McAvoy’s high-quality, sustainable offsite modular buildings, whether capital purchased or hired, and associated services.
Ciara McVeigh, Head of BID Management at McAvoy, commented: “Being awarded a place on Lot 2, which forms the largest portion of the work in this framework with a maximum value of £600m, is a major endorsement of our strong capability and track record in delivering high-performing modular buildings across the public sector. With a strong focus on quality, sustainability and efficiency, the framework aligns with our mission to provide public sector clients with modern, reliable and future ready modular building solutions.”
For more information about McAvoy’s framework partnerships visit: www.mcavoygroup.com/who-we are/frameworks-collaboration/
Improvements to clinical practice and work-life balance are being achieved at pace by early adopters of digital pathology at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Luisa Motta and Dr Lynne Jamieson give the detail on the latest impact in a Greater Manchester wide programme.
Effective new digital multidisciplinary team meetings, better work-life balance, reduced stress, and less time spent on administration and preparation. These are just some of the benefits of digital pathology being rapidly felt by early adopters in Greater Manchester.
The region has been a pioneer in modernising and integrating diagnostics. The Greater Manchester Diagnostics Network signed a major agreement in 2020 with medical imaging company Sectra, to bring together diagnostic imaging at scale for a population of 3 million people.
Dr Luisa Motta (right) and Beth Tumilty
The agreement later expanded to include digital pathology, opening the potential to modernise ways of working. Pathologists at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust have been the latest in Greater Manchester to put this into practice.
Piles of glass slides on a desk is not the view that pathologists want to see when they start their day, says Dr Luisa Motta, consultant histopathologist at the trust, and joint clinical lead for the digital pathology programme in Greater Manchester. “I would often receive several trays of slides that would not always be in the right order. It generates unnecessary stress and takes the joy out of work.”
In response to this and to rising national demand faced in pathology, Dr Motta and early adopters at the trust, are now benefiting from a different approach, that is reducing stresses, delays, and labour-intensive tasks associated with physical handling and transportation of glass slides.
Embracing new ways of working
Dr Lynne Jamieson, a dermapathologist for almost 20 years, has radically changed her practice in a matter of months, learning and adopting new ways of working with minimal disruption, and significant positive impact. “I felt that if I want to make my working life more flexible, I need to get on board with digital,” Dr Jamieson says.
“I became comfortable with digital pathology within just two months of using the Sectra platform,” she says. “It has been transformational – not only from the personal wellbeing and work-life balance perspective, but also from caseload management. And that’s coming from someone who was initially sceptical about going digital. Today, I’m still finding more, and more things that I like about it.”
Dr Jamieson believes this has significantly helped with workflow efficiency. “My list of cases would have effectively been a desk full of glass slides, not very long ago. Now, new cases appear on my list digitally, in a more manageable way,” she says.
“There has been a huge transformation in how I manage my work. It’s about learning what the system can do for me. I’m better able to keep track of cases. The ability for myself and colleagues to add comments to studies means I know where each case is up to. And I’m more relaxed when reporting – I can come back to a complex case when I’m best prepared, without having to necessarily travel to a particular location. I have a lot of positive things to say.”
More efficient workflow has also been the highlight for Dr Motta: “I recently had 90 active cases on a particular day and managed to go through all of them smoothly – something that normally couldn’t be achieved with a microscope and physical glass slides.” It’s not just about improving my desk workflow, but staff morale too, Dr Motta says: “Having to look through numerous piles of slides is not the best use of anybody’s time. If technology can provide us with better access and better records, that also means we can have a better job satisfaction.”
A new precedent in work-life balance
Access to images from home, without the need for slides packaged and transported, is already having impact. Dr Jamieson praises how this transformation has positively influenced her routine: “For the first time in my career, I’ve been able to work two days a week from home. I can choose to start early on those days, or work later, without the stress of driving into the office.”
This helps make pathology a more attractive environment to work in, she adds: “Residents and new consultants don’t want to work like I did when I was their age. They want a better work-life balance. This represents a huge shift in a very short time. The more flexibility you can offer, the more desirable your working environment becomes.”
Fostering collaboration and communication: Digital MDTs and more
New digital ways of working mean pathologists can collaborate with multidisciplinary teams more productively. “Before, I would use my microscopes with a camera attached to project one image at a time in online meetings, which would often require looking at paper reports – a process too convoluted,” says Dr Motta. Now, she is able to share multiple visual images on the screen at the same time, enabling multidisciplinary colleagues to understand the case efficiently.
Time is everything when it comes to diagnosing conditions like cancer, and this is where digital pathology brings a huge benefit: “Demonstrating findings on several slides including immunohistochemical stains, at the click of a button, helps come to a conclusion quickly, which is a very relevant feature in cancer diagnosis,” says Dr Motta.
Digitising slides has also streamlined preparation for multidisciplinary meetings, she explains: “If a slide cannot be retrieved on time, then the review of the case cannot happen. But with digital images, it takes minutes to organise these meetings. And if I was sick or on leave, my colleagues would still have access to slides. The burden for laboratory and office staff is also significantly reduced, as they don’t have to manually retrieve cases in preparation for the meeting, which would often take a whole afternoon.”
Dr Jamieson agrees: “Sharing images at MDT is important,” she says. “Being able to do that in an efficient way is beneficial to patient care. If I can illustrate to a clinician why I have said something, they can then better explain a diagnosis to a patient. This is so much smoother now. I can easily share images instantly, zoom in and out, and engage with people rather than the microscope.”
Enhanced cross-team collaboration has been taken to the next level thanks to the live chat function, which enables Dr Motta and Dr Jamieson to annotate images to specific clinicians when discussing cases, and receive a second opinion from a specialist colleague almost immediately. “I can click a link in the message to the case I’m working on and add a note to my colleagues to ask about their thoughts. I’m also able to send chat messages to the scanning room, which are quickly picked up by biomedical scientists,” says Dr Jamieson.
Setting the ground for the next generation of pathologists
Traditionally, pathologists and resident doctors would examine slides with microscopes together in the same room. Now, Dr Motta can teach online, demonstrating cases and histological findings on the screen, an approach that has been positively received by residents. “It is a very smooth process, which doesn’t require any additional actions from the lab, such as retrieving and refiling cases. It definitely opens up new ideas and appetite to work differently.”
Residents are enthusiastic about the opportunities that digital pathology can provide. “They want to learn how to use it because it’s going to be their future career,” says Dr Jamieson.
Sharing best practice in other environments has also become more efficient: “Taking pictures for presentations, publications, and education, has become so easy,” says Dr Jamieson. “There is no need to retrieve slides from file, make sure it is in focus, that there is no dirt on the slide, freezing screens, and editing the picture. Now we just search for the case and save the relevant image.”
Digital transformation may also be attractive to pathologists approaching retirement, and provide the opportunity to continue to be part of the workforce at a time that suits them: “As this gives flexibility, colleagues can still contribute, for longer. I think my retiring colleagues will be enthusiastic to embrace it,” says Dr Jamieson.
All about people
As wider adoption begins to take place and cross-site collaboration becomes possible, a conversation on entirely new ways people can work is opening. Dr Jamieson is eager to share learnings: “Once more people are on board with digital pathology, it would be beneficial to create surgeries where colleagues can share what they’ve learned,” says Dr Jamieson.
In the end, it’s all about people – building the next generation of pathologists who are both successful in their roles and satisfied in their careers, says Dr Motta. “If we can use technology to help us work more efficiently and improve job satisfaction, I think we should embrace it and maximise its impact.”
As I look back on 2025, it’s clear that the UK’s public sector has been navigating one of its most complex and transformative workforce landscapes in years. The pressures of cost management, legislative reform and evolving expectations from both candidates and hiring managers have converged to reshape how we think about recruitment. For me, the defining theme has been agility, not just in how we fill roles, but in how we forecast demand, plan our workforces and engage with the communities we serve.
Balancing Cost with Continuity
Throughout 2025, cost savings and cost avoidance dominated the agenda across local authorities and wider public services. That’s not new, but what is new is how this focus has driven innovation in resourcing strategies. We’ve had to move from being reactive to being genuinely predictive. By providing supply partners with forward-looking demand data, we’ve been able to help them pool talent in advance, ensuring continuity in essential areas such as social care and frontline support.
At the same time, there’s been a deeper level of analysis around long-term contract workers such as understanding tenure, optimising sourcing channels and ultimately finding ways to retain expertise while reducing cost. In some cases, this has even extended to customers developing their own white-labelled talent pools, often linked to social value initiatives. This kind of creative, collaborative sourcing isn’t just a cost measure; it’s becoming a cultural shift in how public bodies think about workforce ownership and community engagement.
Evolving Expectations in a Hybrid World
Hybrid working remains one of the most hotly debated topics, but what’s fascinating is how differently it plays out in the public sector versus the private sector. Public bodies, by and large, continue to embrace hybrid models – often around a 40/60 split between office and home and there’s little appetite to reverse that trend. The private sector, however, has been moving back towards more office-based operations, especially in roles where collaboration, problem-solving and innovation thrive in person.
This divergence is now creating an intriguing dynamic: two sectors often competing for the same talent but offering very different working propositions. The recruitment leader now needs to be more strategic in articulating the value of the public sector proposition not just in flexibility, but in purpose, stability and contribution to community outcomes.
Smarter Workforce Planning
The move towards agile workforce planning has fundamentally changed how organisations approach talent acquisition. The days of thinking purely in terms of “permanent” or “temporary” are over. We’re now building multi-layered workforce models that combine permanent staff with contingent labour, gig workers and project-based specialists.
This shift has empowered employers to make more intelligent, skills-centric hiring decisions. Instead of asking “what role do I need to fill?”, organisations are asking “what skill do I need to achieve this outcome, and for how long?” That question alone signals a major maturity leap in workforce thinking. It’s driving greater cost control, flexibility and the ability to scale capability up or down with genuine foresight.
The Human Connection Still Matters
Technology has rightly played a major role in streamlining recruitment, automating workflows and improving data visibility but there’s a real risk that in the excitement around AI, automation and analytics, we lose sight of the human element. I’ve seen too many organisations invest heavily in tech while overlooking the relationships that underpin effective service delivery.
Customer service, emotional intelligence and relational understanding are what sustain partnerships. Knowing a client’s strategic intent, culture and emotional climate is what makes the difference between transactional delivery and true collaboration. In my view, relationship management isn’t an old-fashioned idea it’s the foundation of long-term success, particularly in a decentralised, hybrid environment.
Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
One of the most encouraging developments of late has been the spirit of openness and collaboration among public sector bodies. Initiatives like the London Pledge, where authorities share knowledge, insight and even workforce intelligence, demonstrate what’s possible when competition gives way to cooperation. I recently took part in a London-wide collaboration session where local authorities, strategic partners and even government departments sat around the same table, openly discussing challenges and sharing data. That’s the kind of ecosystem thinking we need to accelerate across the UK.
As we move into 2026, the public sector’s most effective workforce strategies will centre on a skills-first approach, where hiring is driven by capabilities, outcomes and adaptability rather than traditional job titles. This shift reflects a growing move toward project-based and cross-functional ways of working, allowing organisations to deploy talent more intelligently.
Alongside this, new employment legislation is likely to accelerate the adoption of flexible and alternative engagement models – from gig work and statement-of-work contracts to hybrid employment structures – which must be implemented responsibly to ensure fairness and compliance while keeping the public sector competitive for scarce skills. At the same time, candidate experience will emerge as a key differentiator, demanding that public bodies think and act more like brands: communicating their purpose clearly, engaging authentically and embedding diversity, inclusion and ESG into the heart of their identity. Ultimately, 2026 will bring both challenge and opportunity and those organisations that balance commercial intelligence with social purpose – while never losing sight of the human relationships that underpin success – will be best positioned to thrive.
“Public Sector bodies are under increasing pressure to deliver infrastructure that is not only cost-effective but also aligned with net-zero targets,” said Duncan Price, Partner, Global Sustainability & Climate Lead, Buro Happold.
Leading global engineering, design and advisorypractice Buro Happold has achieved PAS 2080 certification for Carbon Management in Infrastructure and Built Environment from BSI, reinforcing its commitment to helping public sector organisations deliver low-carbon, resilient infrastructure in line with national and local climate goals.
Shahm Barhom – BSI
PAS 2080 is the globally recognised standard for managing whole-life carbon in the built environment. Developed by BSI, it provides a framework for reducing carbon emissions across the entire lifecycle of infrastructure – from strategic planning and design to construction, operation, and decommissioning.
“Our PAS 2080 certification is an important component in Buro Happold’s award-winning five step design thinking approach. The approach combines whole-life asset thinking that balances cost, quality and carbon. Our strategies mitigate climate resilience and minimise the loss of nature alongside standardised designs optimised through computationally advanced analysis proven to unlock new solutions.
“This means we can support clients in making informed, carbon-conscious decisions from the earliest stages of project development. It underscores Buro Happold’s commitment to compliance with evolving policy and funding requirements for central government and devolved administrations, as well as transparent reporting and accountability aligned with ESG and climate action frameworks.”
Shahm Barhom, Group Product Certification Director at BSI, said: “We’re pleased to congratulate Buro Happold on achieving certification to PAS 2080. This achievement reflects a strong commitment to managing and reducing whole-life carbon across the built environment.
“By aligning with this globally recognised standard, Buro Happold is demonstrating leadership in the transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure, contributing meaningfully to the UK’s net-zero goals and the broader ambition of a sustainable future.”
Buro Happold’s approach is already being applied across public sector projects in transport, education, healthcare, and urban regeneration – helping local authorities and government agencies meet their sustainability commitments while delivering high-quality public services.
Britain’s future cyber warriors will sharpen digital combat skills through the International Defence Esports Games (IDEG), launched today with over 40 allied nations in London.
Following the UK officially recognising esports as a military sport in 2024, the IDEG acts as a collaborative arena for allied nations to sharpen the cyber skills that are critical for modern warfare – supporting the government’s Plan for Change to strengthen national security.
With over 90,000 cyber-attacks targeting the UK annually, the initiative builds digital skills essential for keeping Britain secure at home and abroad.
Personnel develop critical battlefield skills through competitive gaming, such as tracking multiple threats at once, directing soldiers on the ground, performing under intense pressure, and changing tactics based on live intelligence.
Serving personnel from nations including the UK, Canada and Poland will compete for the first time at IDEG26. Ukrainian forces also proved gaming’s tactical value by developing drone simulator games, which improved operators’ targeting accuracy and reaction times, enabling more effective missions against Russian forces.
Louise Sandher-Jones, Minister for Veterans and People, said:
“The Strategic Defence Review has shown us clearly that the nature of war is changing, and we must change with it. The Government’s Plan for Change demands forces are ready for digital battlegrounds, where our personnel must be as skilled in cybersecurity and with controllers as they are in traditional combat.
“Lessons from Ukraine have shown how gaming technology can train drone operators and develop the rapid decision-making skills essential for modern warfare. The International Defence Esports Games (IDEG) positions Britain at the forefront of this transformation, ensuring our armed forces are prepared for the conflicts of tomorrow.”
Modern warfare demands rapid digital decision-making, drone operation skills, and cyber capabilities. Personnel must process tactical information instantly while maintaining precision under combat pressure.
The competition finals will take place at the new National Gaming and Esports Arena in Sunderland in October 2026, featuring live-streamed tournaments and strategic summits exploring cyber security, AI, and drone operations.
General Sir Tom Copinger-Symes, Deputy Commander of Cyber and Specialist Operations Command, said:
“The International Defence Esports Games represent a significant step forward in developing the cyber and digital skills essential for modern military operations. Lessons from conflicts including Ukraine have demonstrated the real-world value of gaming technology in training drone operators and enhancing cyber capabilities.
“IDEG will strengthen our warfighting readiness whilst building crucial partnerships with allied nations who share our commitment to technological innovation in defence.”
Chester King, President of British Esports, said:
“The launch of the IDEG is a historic occasion for British Esports and military personnel worldwide. We are honoured to host the inaugural finals at our National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland, which will showcase our world-class facilities and the city and region’s emerging status as a digital innovation cluster.
“With international interest already coming from cities in the USA and Australia to host IDEG27, we are focused on making this first event a phenomenal success.”
Today’s launch was supported by partnerships with BAE Systems, Babcock International, and the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) serving as official media partner, bringing comprehensive coverage to personnel across allied nations. For IDEG26, global advertising agency M&S Saatchi join as a founding partner and Babcock International as the founding mission partner.
As the Autumn Budget approaches, Electric Vehicle (EV) charge point operator (CPO) Believ is calling on the Treasury to act on four key priorities that will help decarbonise transport by making EV ownership and charging more affordable, thus encouraging wider adoption.
The importance of these measures is of heightened importance, following Budget prediction news of a potential ‘pay-per-mile’ charge for EVs from 2028, and confirmation that London EV drivers will no longer be exempt from the congestion charge. Many drivers will see these as costs that tip the balance against EV affordability. Believ’s four Budget wishes therefore take a holistic approach to how the UK can reduce EV ownership costs:
A reduction in VAT on public charging, aligning it with home-energy rates. If this reduction is made, Believ will pass all savings onto the driver, providing long-term affordability.
A decision not to introduce business rates for CPOs as previously planned, which will help the CPO business model operate to offer lower charging rates.
An extension and expansion of the EV grant scheme, potentially offering higher discounts and covering more vehicle models, helping to incentivise EV purchases.
A review of how standing charges are calculated to stop CPOs being charged against future capacity, and having to pass on these charges.
These initiatives would represent a significant step forward in making EV ownership more accessible and cost-effective, helping to alleviate concerns drivers will have around EV tax increases.
Believ is working with local authorities, businesses and landlords to create the UK’s most reliable EV charging network at no cost to the taxpayer, supported by the £300 million investment it secured earlier this year to deliver at least 30,000 new public charge points.
Guy Bartlett, CEO at Believ, says private investment in the EV charging industry must be matched by government support to help encourage EV uptake: “EVs are the future of sustainable transport and as such must be accessible, with cost an integral part of accessibility. As outlined in our four wishes, we need the Treasury to take a holistic, end-to-end approach to furthering EV uptake, recognising vital, private investment and supporting the UK’s decarbonisation of transport.”
He adds: “Combined with Believ’s mission to deliver cleaner air for all, and our £300 million commitment to expanding the UK’s charging network, these measures send a powerful message that the UK is serious about making EVs a viable choice for everyone.”
Believ supports Charge UK’s call for the Government to implement these measures as part of a joined-up strategy to make EV charging more affordable, equitable and sustainable; driving forward the UK’s transition to cleaner transport.
Four charity partners will benefit as the IT industry’s flagship yacht racing, networking and fundraising event sets its sights on its next quarter century
The UK’s largest charity and IT sailing event, the Russell-Cooke Silicon Cup Regatta, raised £50,000 in its 25th anniversary edition this autumn.
Since its inception, the annual two-day regatta in The Solent has raised more than £1.45 million for life changing causes. Sailors and non-sailors alike, working in or with the IT industry, can push the total even higher by participating in the 26th edition, which will take place on 15-16 September next year. Moving with the times, next year’s event will see an exciting new format making it easier for more people to join the party or come for just one day.
Shaun Frohlich, chair of the Russell-Cooke Silicon Cup Regatta, said: “Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the event was a proud moment and made all the more special by learning we had raised a recent record for our four fabulous charities.
“As we head into our next quarter century, we look forward to welcoming even more colleagues from the industry to one of the world’s most iconic sailing grounds for an event that combines yacht racing with networking and fundraising for causes that truly matter.”
The Silicon Cup Regatta takes place each September in The Solent, the strip of water between the south of England and the Isle of Wight. For the past three years, the event has been sponsored by Russell-Cooke, a law firm that advises a mix of commercial, regulatory, not-for-profit and private clients across a broad range of practice areas.
Participants come from across the IT industry and compete on matched yachts equipped with professional crews and all the gear required. This year’s the event saw over 60 people completely new to sailing taking part. Strong winds and clear skies led to an exciting day of close racing and an event that will last long in the memory of all who took part.
A lively gala dinner in Cowes on the Isle of Wight rounded off the first day, with fundraising activities and a silent auction in aid of the charity partners. To mark its 25th anniversary, the event announced a new charity partner, The Final Straw Foundation.
The Final Straw Foundation grew out of a Hampshire beach cleaning initiative. It works with schools, communities and businesses to raise awareness of the impact of plastic pollution on the environment and reduce the amount of plastic in use.
The regatta also supports: The Genie’s Wish, which works to enhance the lives of children and young adults with a life-limiting condition or terminal illness; The Greig City Academy, which is Britain’s only inner-school sail training programme; and The Andrew Simpson Foundation, which facilitates wider participation in sailing.
Peter Jeffery, corporate and commercial partner of principal sponsor Russell-Cooke, said: “We were especially pleased to welcome The Final Straw Foundation as a new charity partner in our 25th anniversary year.
“It really strengthened the regatta’s focus on sustainability, which is a cause close to our hearts as part of our broader commitment to being a responsible business. We were also pleased to continue to support our long-standing charity partners, all of which do inspirational work with children and young people in sailing and beyond.”
The regatta has now set a long-term target to raise more than £1.5 million for good causes. Teams looking to get involved in next year’s event can find out more about its history, logistics, and charitable work at: www.thesiliconcup.com
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