The Government has placed wearable technology at the centre of its recently-published 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future – signalling a major shift in how healthcare will be delivered across England.
Embedding wearables into everyday care, from hospital-level monitoring at home to pro-active disease prevention and chronic illness management, will be transformative for delivering care more efficiently, reducing pressure on hospitals, and empowering patients to take control of their health.
Here, Orlando Agrippa (below), chief executive of Sanius Health, the UK’s largest wearable patient platform, looks at how this new approach could revolutionise the way care is delivered.
The NHS 10-year Health Plan, published in July this year, outlines how wearables will be a cornerstone of future healthcare delivery.
The plan references wearables 24 times, underscoring their critical role in reshaping the NHS.
From enabling hospital-level care at home, to providing real-time data for pro-active interventions, wearable devices will be an integral part of the UK’s healthcare infrastructure, enabling more conditions to be managed in the community, reducing the reliance on in-person consultations, freeing up clinician time, increasing productivity, and cutting costs associated with preventable hospital admissions.
“Wearable technology is no longer just a consumer gadget, it is a vital piece of NHS infrastructure,” says Agrippa.
“This plan shows how, over the next decade, we can put the UK at the forefront of digital healthcare, empowering patients while supporting clinicians with the data they need to act earlier and more effectively.”
However, equity is critical, he added.
“The NHS has committed to ensuring that wearable technology is not just available to the wealthy or tech-savvy, but becomes a standard tool accessible to all,” he said.
“Offering free devices to those who need them most is a clear step towards reducing health inequalities.
“Through our pro-active and preventive health proposition, which combines wearables, digital wallets, AI, and human coaching and support, we have significantly reduced A&E attendances by 52%, hospital bed stays by 54%, and have improved patient-reported outcomes by 62% over a six-month period for more than 1,000 patients in the UK.
“We have also helped patients be more adherent to medication, reducing hospitalisation.”
The NHS has committed to ensuring that wearable technology is not just available to the wealthy or tech-savvy, but becomes a standard tool accessible to all
The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out a vision for a ‘Neighbourhood Health Service’, where patients can receive hospital-quality monitoring and care without needing to be admitted to hospital.
And wearables and other remote monitoring tools will allow NHS teams to track vital signs, detect early warning signs, and intervene quickly when conditions worsen improving the patient experience and addressing capacity challenges by reducing unnecessary hospital visits and admissions.
The plan also highlights the role of wearables in enhancing the NHS App, which will become the central digital platform for patients.
Through its upcoming ‘My Health’ feature, the app will integrate data from wearable devices with test results and medical records, giving patients and clinicians a comprehensive, real-time view of their health.
Importantly, the NHS also commits to ensuring that this data remains patient controlled.
Individuals will be able to choose what information they share, and with whom, balancing innovation with transparency and trust.
Agrippa said: “Wearables are central to the NHS’s quality agenda.
“The plan promises the consistent adoption of transformative technologies across the service, ensuring equitable access regardless of geography or socio-economic background.
“The boldest commitment is ‘Big Bet 4’, which outlines how wearable technology will drive real-time, personalised care.
“By 2028, remote monitoring of cardiovascular disease (CVD) will become standard, with free devices available to those most in need.”
Sanius Health’s platform empowers patients to monitor their health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, from home, thereby reducing the need for hospital visits and enabling more proactive care and treatments that are tailored to individual patients.
The adoption of wearable technology is not only about improving outcomes, but also about ensuring the financial sustainability of the NHS
“Wearables will drive the shift from hospital-based treatment to community-centered care,” said Agrippa.
“The use of AI in Sanius Health’s wearable patient platform provides actionable insights that will improve patient outcomes and streamline healthcare delivery, supporting the Government’s plan to make the NHS the world’s-most-AI-enabled health system.
“And the adoption of wearable technology is not only about improving outcomes, but also about ensuring the financial sustainability of the NHS.
“With rising demand, an ageing population, and workforce pressures, new models of care are essential.
“Importantly, we must ensure robust data governance, patient trust, and continued innovation if wearables are to deliver their full potential.
“Public and private sector collaboration is going to be the key to scaling impact and ensuring every patient, regardless of background, benefits from this transformation.”