When the NHS was created 60 years ago, no-one could have imagined the groundbreaking work the service does today, or even the role technology plays in enabling clinicians to deliver care.

To continue this healthcare revolution, technology heads and clinicians need to work more closely together to ensure the NHS continues to increase the quality of care it delivers.

However, all too often, the focus on what technology does and the politics in getting technology projects signed off make it difficult for decision makers to understand the role of technology in healthcare transformation.

Moreover, the communication gap between chief information officers and chief executives can make it difficult to align IT and business objectives. Clinical and IT leaders may also find it hard to connect with each other. Clinicians cannot define what they want and need because they do not have the technical knowledge to know what they can have, while chief information officers, wrestling with the complexities of modern IT networks, inevitably frame their solutions in terms of the technology.

A new kind of leader

To overcome these hurdles and derive real benefit from healthcare transformation projects, the healthcare profession needs a new breed of IT leadership - leaders who are focused on understanding the trust's business strategies and who can drive change through effective consultation and collaboration with clinicians.

Traditionally, the chief information officer has been seen as a manager of IT infrastructure, but there has been a shift in the role, from procurement, networking and infrastructure management to a much wider, more strategic focus.

The move to operating at the executive level can be challenging, particularly in healthcare. Chief information officers must establish themselves as colleagues rather than subordinates, providing leadership in planning, business growth and strategic development.

They must also define the value of information in healthcare. Their focus will be on improving safety for patients, proactively managing resources, driving efficiency and improving outcomes. Working closely with executives, clinicians, managers and support staff, chief information officers can build a leadership group that will drive change for the organisation as a whole.

Comfort zone

This is going to require people to step out of their comfort zones. Too often, organisations embark on major change projects - such as care transformation - without a clear plan for addressing the issues that will affect implementation. In addition, there is a lack of focus on the value new technology will bring by improving clinical operations.

Although IT will play an important role in supporting these cultural changes, the modernisation of healthcare will be led by clinicians and not by technology alone.

IT will underpin much of the delivery of healthcare in the future, but clinicians and frontline staff will shape how technology is used to improve standards of care for patients.

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