How SD-WAN eliminates barriers to digital transformation in healthcare

Guided by ambitious national policies, emerging technologies, and pledges of additional funding from the UK government, the NHS’s digital transformation journey is at a pivotal juncture. But beyond budgets and boots on the ground, what will be the key to accelerating progress in the sector? Integrating savvy network infrastructure – more specifically, software-defined wide area networks (SD-WANs).

Here, we discuss the role SD-WAN can play in enhancing connectivity in healthcare, strengthening the scalability of digital environments, and building a future-ready service that delivers better patient outcomes.

Digitising the frontline

Like many industries, the NHS is on a mission to modernise. Irrespective of geography or application, it wants to create a seamless, connected healthcare system where information can flow effortlessly between different providers, effectively reimagining healthcare delivery to improve patient services. From faster diagnostics to slashed costs and more efficient use of resources, the benefits of digital transformation in healthcare are vast and far reaching. And in 2019, the NHS Long Term Plan set these ambitions in motion. 

The document – created in collaboration with frontline staff, patients and their families, and other experts – recognised the importance of technology in enabling digital-first care to go mainstream, and outlined a 10-year plan on how to get there. We’re now six years deep, with a revised 10-year plan in consultation. And while our healthcare services still face immense pressures, early changes are beginning to bear fruit. 91% of trusts have moved to active electronic patient records (EPR), integrated care systems are becoming more digitally mature, and the NHS’s funding path is taking a more sustainable shape than ever before, with the 2024 Autumn Budget allocating a further £2 billion to strengthen technology and digital transformation in healthcare.

Of course, there’s still a long way to go. And with the NHS chief executive rolling out streamlined national priorities for 2025/26, the focus on technology is clear: maximise the use of digital tools to drive efficiencies, boost productivity, and cut costs across the board.

Challenges of digital transformation in healthcare

A nationwide digital overhaul is tough in any sector. But in an under-resourced, high-pressure environment ike healthcare, it’s even harder. And while funding injections and policy shifts are helping to move things forward, the reality is that legacy systems and outdated technology are still stifling progress significantly.

They lack interoperability, making it harder for systems to communicate, share critical patient data across providers, and collaborate across geographies – essentially blocking the path to truly joined-up care. Automating workflows is near impossible, meaning frontline staff spend too much time on admin instead of patient care. And as maintenance costs rocket, they’re causing already stretched budgets to swell even further. The picture for healthcare cyber security isn’t any better either, with archaic systems leaving trusts open to growing threats and exacerbating challenges.

Multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) networks are a prime example. Rigid, costly, and increasingly complex, this technology was built for an era of centralised data centres and on-premise applications – not the cloud-driven, digital-first healthcare system we’re steering towards. Yet, it’s still widely used by many trusts today.

Relying on fixed, private circuits, MPLS networks make it difficult to accommodate increasing data demands from connected medical devices, remote consultations, and digital patient records, the cost of maintenance and bandwidth can be eye watering, and performance can suffer when handling the surge of traffic from modern applications. Plus, with more healthcare services shifting online, trusts need robust, end-to-end security – something legacy MPLS struggles to provide without cumbersome add-ons.

To overcome these barriers to digital transformation in healthcare, the NHS needs a network that can evolve as it does – without the added costs and complexities. That’s where SD-WAN comes in.

Why SD-WAN takes centre stage

Integrating new innovations is a critical part of the NHS’s digital transformation – not least as AI, automation, and the internet of things (IoT) become more sophisticated. But innovation alone isn’t enough. To add genuine value, components must also work together as a cohesive whole, with the flexibility to scale, adapt, and integrate as healthcare demands evolve. Without the right infrastructure, even the most advanced tools will struggle to deliver their full potential.

Updating the wide area network (WAN) is therefore key. And it should build on the key elements of a digital-native IT environment – from multi-cloud applications and EPRs to virtual consultations and remote diagnostics – to underpin gamechanging connectivity in healthcare. Exactly like SD-WAN does. Here’s how SD-WAN is reshaping service delivery in the NHS:

High efficiency at lower costs

Legacy MPLS networks are notorious for being costly, rigid, and bandwidth-restrictive, making them unsuitable for the data-driven needs of today’s NHS. Meanwhile, SD-WAN dynamically selects the most efficient and cost-effective path – whether that’s MPLS, broadband, LTE, or 5G – to optimise network traffic and accelerate performance without compromising on security. This way, trusts can significantly cut operational expenses and reduce reliance on private circuits. While the upfront investment might seem like a barrier, the sooner SD-WAN is adopted, the more value it will provide to healthcare network services.

Boundless connectivity 

From GP surgeries and hospitals to community care facilities and remote teams, SD-WAN ensures a constant and reliable data flow between different locations, prioritising critical healthcare applications to prevent network congestion and latency issues. So, whether it’s real-time access to patient records, remote diagnostics, or emergency response coordination, clinicians and staff can access the information they need, exactly when they need it.

Complete visibility

Healthcare IT teams gain visibility over their entire network. By using physical or virtual customer-premises edges that connect to a cloud-based, centralised orchestrator, providers can monitor traffic flows and network health from a single, unified dashboard. So, IT managers are no longer bound by fragmented data or manual processes. Instead, they can track network performance in real time, identify issues, and make network-wide configuration changes with a single click. This enhanced visibility is invaluable for maintaining high-quality patient care, empowering IT teams to spot problems quickly, well before they impact critical systems.

Reduced complexity

SD-WAN reduces network complexity by automating key functions such as traffic routing, application performance optimisation, and security policies, freeing IT teams from manually managing individual devices and configurations. While there may be a learning curve during initial adoption, IT teams can ultimately see the entire network in one place, making it easier to spot issues and ensure service level agreements (SLAs) are consistently met. What’s more, SD-WAN streamlines deployment across locations – with automatic policy and configuration rollout from the central orchestrator, there’s no need for on-site technical staff, cutting down on human error and standardising network templates across different locations and acquisitions.

Secure access

No matter who is accessing an NHS system – whether it’s doctors, radiologists, or administrators – sensitive patient data should be protected at all times. But this shouldn’t cause service delivery to stall. Unlike traditional virtual private networks (VPNs) and legacy remote access solutions – which often introduce latency, disrupt workflows, and create threat blind spots – SD-WAN makes both speed and healthcare cyber security non-negotiable.

By using encrypted overlay tunnels, microsegmentation, and intelligent traffic routing, it empowers healthcare professionals to securely access EPRs, imaging scans, and telehealth applications from any location without performance bottlenecks. The result? Improved diagnostic turnaround times and enhanced patient outcomes.

When combined with SD-Access – like our clients at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals – it also creates a unified network fabric that extends end-to-end segmentation and policy consistency across both the local area network (LAN) and WAN. So, diverse user groups, including medical staff, patients, and third-party vendors, and a range of endpoints spanning MRI machines to mobile phones, can all securely access the network without compromising performance, boosting compliance with regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Futureproofing for innovation

The NHS’s digital roadmap includes AI-driven diagnostics, IoT-enabled medical devices, and real-time patient monitoring. However, these innovations require high-bandwidth, low-latency networks that can scale on demand. SD-WAN is designed for future flexibility, allowing NHS trusts to seamlessly integrate emerging technologies without requiring a major infrastructure overhaul. This ensures that investments made today won’t become roadblocks tomorrow, giving the NHS the agility it needs to evolve continuously.

Level up your healthcare network services

SD-WAN isn’t a mere box-ticking technology that helps boost performance. Combining bespoke infrastructure with tried-and-tested security and policy enforcement, it drives change that scales with your trust’s every need. With our Cisco healthcare solutions, you have the power to break free from dated systems, reduce costs, and enhance security while building an agile network that’s fit for the future. No more legacy technology holding you back.