In a recent webinar hosted by Access Health and Support, Alan Payne, Group Product and Engineering Director at The Access Group, and Dr Umang Patel, Chief Clinical Information Officer at Microsoft, explored how technology can help turn the promise of integrated care into practical, scalable reality.
[Watch the webinar on demand]
Breaking Down Barriers Across Care
At its core, integrated care is about removing the friction between systems, services and sectors. As Alan Payne put it, “We have world-class professionals, but they’re often let down by the systems around them.”
Dr Umang Patel, drawing on his experience as a frontline clinician, described the patient confusion that arises when health professionals don’t have access to shared information. “Patients look at you and say, ‘You’ve got a computer — how can you not know what happened at my last appointment?”
Disconnected systems can sometimes slow down decision-making, create duplication, and leave patients repeating their story at every stage of the journey. However, advancements in integrated care technology, such as those provided by The Access Group, on Microsoft’s platform, are helping to overcome these challenges and streamline patient experiences.
The Real-World Value of Integration
Both speakers emphasised that integration isn’t just about streamlining workflows — it’s about delivering better care. Patel pointed to the shift towards community-based and preventative models: “We can’t do that if we’re still dragging people into hospital for things that could be managed earlier or elsewhere.”
Alan Payne added that joined-up care also reduces stress for patients and families. “If we can avoid unnecessary travel, keep people in their homes, and engage carers early, the knock-on benefits are huge.”
Technology’s Role — and Responsibility
While technology alone won’t deliver integrated care, it has a pivotal role to play — particularly with the arrival of more advanced tools like AI. Smart Notes, an AI-powered feature already in use within Access’s Rio software, is helping to shave time off clinical admin substantially. “We’ve cut average note-taking time from seven minutes to three,” said Payne. “When scaled, those marginal gains release meaningful time back to care.”
Dr Patel highlighted how AI in healthcare can also support patient engagement. From summarising information to enabling natural language queries, these tools can empower patients to better understand and manage their health. “We finally have the tools to activate patients as partners in their care,” he noted.
However, both speakers were clear: AI must be ethical and deployed responsibly. "We don’t move data outside the UK. We don’t use it to train models. It’s not our data — it’s yours," Payne emphasised. Patel added, "Transparency is essential to ensure trust and confidence in AI technologies. We are committed to ethical AI practices and transparent operations to support patient care effectively.”
The UK’s Unique Opportunity
With the NHS serving over 68 million people, the UK has a unique opportunity to lead on integrated care at scale. “No other country has this combination of reach, infrastructure and shared purpose,” said Patel. “If we can make integration work here, we create a blueprint for the rest of the world.”
Alan Payne pointed to real progress already being made across the landscape in places like Wales, where agreements between health and social care are enabling more connected services. But both agreed that moving from pilot projects to system-wide transformation requires strong collaboration — across industry, public services and frontline teams.
What Needs to Happen Now
Looking ahead to the NHS’s forthcoming 10-Year Plan, both speakers called for ambition that matches the moment.
“Let’s not just digitise what we already do,” said Dr Patel. “Let’s reimagine care for a world where everyone carries a smartphone — and work backwards from there.”
Alan Payne urged leaders to focus on both large-scale transformation and everyday wins. “It’s not always about big bang change. Sometimes shaving a few minutes off an admin task, when scaled, has just as much impact.”
Final Thoughts
Asked for their top priority, both focused on people. For Payne, the answer is simple: “Keep the person receiving care at the centre of every decision.” For Patel, it’s about long-term thinking: “Let’s build for the NHS in 2075, not just 2025.”
Integrated care isn’t a buzzword — it’s a pathway to improved outcomes, more sustainable services and better experiences. With the right tools, the right partnerships, and a commitment to doing things differently, the system is ready to move from vision to action.
