Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

Justin Beardsmore

Justin Beardsmore is a Technology Innovation Leader and Chief Technologist at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust’s new EPR programme. He drives large-scale EPR and digital transformation, aligning clinical, operational, and technology strategy to deliver resilient, patient-focused healthcare systems across complex NHS environments. Beardsmore shared his expert insights and guidance for the 2026 edition of Healthcare Tech Outlook.

Balancing Innovation, Safety and Compliance

Digital innovation is not solely delivered or originated from a local technology function. No one has a monopoly over innovation. Therefore, good governance is key to turning innovation into a desired outcome.  What I mean by this is that the governance process is external and independent of the technology function. Digital can be the main delivery mechanism and a unique source of innovation, but it's the wider organization that needs to be accountable. This governance is not just about processes and committees; it also needs to address stakeholder makeup and the appropriate seniority for the decisions being made. People, Process and Technology.

Modernising Legacy Healthcare Systems

Despite the need to increase defence spending, the Economist predicts healthcare spending will increase in 2026. However, in Europe, this increase is merely to keep up with the needs of ageing societies. In diversifying regions like the Middle East, where spending is increasing the most, you can build from scratch. In Europe and the UK, healthcare systems face additional pressure from annual government budgets and the voting public. In this context, it's not surprising to see that a recent survey of digital leaders highlighted a trend towards a modular approach rather than a big-bang approach.  In this climate, the advice is to think strategically but act tactually. know where you are going over the next 10 years, and communicate progress continuously. Focus on ticking things off the list as you go. This needs a viable financial plan that can flex up or down should opportunities arise. But more importantly, it helps you build trust with the financial planners. Any business case is no longer merely about solving the problem at hand, but positioning yourself to address the problems of tomorrow.

Cybersecurity and Data Protection Strategies

I have written about this issue recently, relating to the modern hospital network. Because the unwritten rules of engagement have changed, with healthcare now a legitimate target, it's unrealistic to think a single organisation can do it all itself. Government and industry need to be involved. Like finance, an attack on health services is a route to wider societal disruption. Looking at recent pan-European reports of sabotage, cyber is now an act of sabotage; the threat is not just external but also internal, carried out by paid local proxies who may have the necessary access. Be it patients or employees. Automation and AI are already making a difference, supplementing over-stretched teams. However, physical security will also be needed. Locked doors and secured areas will be back in vogue. As I said, civil planners will need to decide what is essential, maybe at the expense of innovation. Maybe my mother was right all along - unplug before going to bed.

Shaping NHS Care with Emerging Technologies

Quickly stepping over the well-trodden AI debate, Ambient voice technology (AVT), even though in futurology terms is a transitional technology, it will fix various flows in legacy healthcare systems, within a short period of time.  However, it is a clinical-enabling technology, not a replacement, so back to the workforce issue: where are the clinical staff coming from? Nonetheless, it will make an impact on outcomes over the coming years.

Looking inwards, building on the module approach discussed above, low-code is a way to wean healthcare providers away from SaaS. Much needed if the data is to be joined up. However, the government again needs to provide the investment and incentives to make this work.  The EU’s pivot away from West Coast technology toward open source, and the UK’s scaling out of its NHS email system into a true collaborative platform, are examples. Benefits here may be local, but all reusable. Utilising existing capability and capacity will make it cost-effective. Watching a professional or self-taught SME developer working with a clinician to deliver an outcome that will have an immediate impact on someone's life is one of the joys of working in healthcare technology.

Looking outwards. AI built into hardware is what will make the breakthrough, whether in healthcare, transport, or warfare. It's just a longer delivery timeline. Being London-based, I'm really interested in the growing trend of private healthcare, sophisticated one-stop-shop services. We do X number of scans in one session type marketing. The technology itself is worthy of note, but what is more interesting to watch over the next few years is their interoperability with government provider services. It's obvious that demand will need to be moved elsewhere to take pressure off existing complex services.