NEC Digital Studio publishes new white paper on user-centred systems thinking in healthcare

The NHS is facing a set of well-documented challenges: record waiting lists, workforce shortages, and services stretched beyond capacity. While digital technology is a crucial part of the solution, NEC Digital Studio argues that technology alone cannot solve these problems. Instead, services need to be designed around the people who use them and the systems that support them –  the essence of user-centred systems thinking.

The white paper brings together perspectives from NHS leadership, academia and NEC Digital Studio’s own design specialists. Contributors include Matt Edgar, Director of Digital Urgent and Emergency Care at NHS England, Professor Thomas Jun and Val Mitchell from Loughborough University, and senior members of NEC Digital Studio’s design team. Together, they examine how systems thinking and user-centred design can be applied in practice to address complexity and improve care.

Drawing on real-world NHS case studies, the paper sets out a practical model for service redesign. One case study looks at urgent and emergency care, where system mapping and user research were used to reveal how processes, teams and technology actually interact in practice. The insight generated helped to uncover duplication, missed handovers and gaps in coordination, leading to opportunities for lasting improvement.

Other examples highlight how collaborative, iterative approaches reduce risk by testing ideas in real-world conditions and refining them with input from patients, clinicians and operational staff. This method prevents costly missteps, ensures solutions are grounded in evidence, and builds trust across stakeholders.

The central argument is that the NHS needs more than incremental fixes or disconnected digital tools. By applying user-centred systems thinking, organisations can tackle root causes, design services that work in practice as well as on paper, and deliver lasting improvements.

The white paper is intended for healthcare leaders, policy-makers and service designers who are seeking proven approaches to service transformation. It outlines lessons already being applied in NHS-led projects and provides a framework that can be adapted across different areas of health and care.

The full white paper, A recovery plan for the nation’s healthcare, is available to download via NEC Digital Studio. Access the white paper here.

Find out more

More and more organisations are turning to digital or digitally-enabled services, but real change starts with understanding people’s needs. If you’re exploring a similar challenge or want to know how we can help, get in touch with us through our contact us page.

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