Chief Information Officer Update - August 2026: Building Stronger Digital Foundations

July was another busy month for our Digital and IT teams as we continued to strengthen the technology foundations that support patient care and everyday operations across Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust.

One of the most significant areas of progress has been our network modernisation programme. All Trust sites now have at least one connection migrated to the new infrastructure, with further installations continuing alongside Redcentric. Once fully implemented, the new network will provide approximately ten times the bandwidth available at many of our locations today, improving performance, resilience and our ability to support modern digital services. Telephony migration has also progressed successfully, with further sites moving onto the new platform. 

During July we also successfully migrated to the new NHS.net Connect platform. Whilst there is little visible change for users, the new platform provides improved management and reporting capabilities that will help us maximise the value of our digital services and NHSmail licences. Additionally, preparations are underway for the renewal of our Microsoft 365 licensing arrangements following the completion of the national procurement process.

Behind the scenes, our IT Services teams continue to support the Trust at scale, managing more than 2,600 incidents and service requests during July across Clinical Systems and the IT Service Desk. This vital work ensures colleagues have access to the systems and technology they need to deliver care and support services. 

I would also like to use this update to reinforce an important message: cyber security is everyone's responsibility. The NHS Cyber Security Operations Centre has issued 87 Cyber Alerts so far this year, including 20 classified as high priority. Our teams continue to respond rapidly to these alerts to keep Trust systems secure and compliant with national requirements. 

However, technology alone cannot protect the organisation. Every member of staff has a role to play. Please remain vigilant to phishing emails, use good password practices, report anything suspicious and ensure Trust devices are connected regularly so that critical security updates can be installed. These simple actions make a significant contribution to protecting our patients, colleagues and services. Devices that are not regularly connected also cannot be fully protected and may become a cyber security risk.

Finally, I would like to thank all colleagues for their ongoing engagement with our digital and technology services. The progress outlined in this update reflects the combined effort of teams across the Trust, from frontline staff and operational services through to our Digital, IT and Cyber Security teams.

By continuing to embrace innovation, supporting new ways of working and taking personal responsibility for cyber security, we can ensure Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust remains a safe, resilient and digitally enabled organisation. Together, we are building the digital foundations that will enable better experiences for staff, improved outcomes for patients and sustainable services for the future.