The Trust recognises that digital transformation is central to modernising its services. While it has a 10-year Digital Strategy with supporting governance arrangements in place, the strategy does not include a detailed, costed delivery plan. This makes it harder for the Trust to prioritise work, use resources effectively, and be confident that its digital goals can be achieved with the capacity it has. 
Digital investment has increased mostly because revenue costs are rising. However, capital funding is unpredictable and is expected to fall sharply in 2026-27. This creates risks for replacing old systems, which may cause delays in the delivery of the Digital Strategy. 
National systems are expected to help the Trust improve safety and efficiency, while local projects, such as the Digital Training Platform, user-centred design work, and early use of AI, aim to help staff work more efficiently and supporting more modern ways of working. 
However, progress is being held back by several gaps in the Trust’s arrangements. Key risks linked to cyber security, old systems and AI are not always recorded in a consistent way, which limits the Board’s ability to oversee them effectively. The Trust also does not yet have a clear understanding of digital skills across its workforce. In addition, evaluation of digital projects is limited, making it hard to show whether expected benefits are actually being delivered.