Digital healthcare

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Digital technology and clinical informatics are at the heart of transforming how we deliver safe, effective, and patient-centred healthcare across the NHS.

Clinical Informatics is defined by NHS Careers as ‘an area of healthcare science responsible for developing and improving methods for acquiring, storing and organising and analysing biological data that supports the delivery of patient care’.

All healthcare professionals will use some form of digital technology in their area of practice or will provide support and guidance to their patients in using digital applications such as the NHS App.

The government’s ambition to shift from analogue to digital highlights the importance of having a workforce that is digitally confident and skilled. The Lord Darzi review emphasised the function of technology in enhancing productivity and particularly the opportunity that artificial intelligence (AI) has in delivering healthcare services. There is an increasing expectation that the pharmacy workforce will adopt digital solutions such as electronic prescribing, electronic patient records, and clinical decision support tools. The NHS 10-year health plan for England stresses the role that digital innovation, including the developments within the NHS App, will continue to expand. These national drivers reiterate the vital part that digital transformation will have in improving outcomes, reducing health inequalities, and supporting a sustainable, modern health service that is patient-centred.

This gateway is designed to help pharmacy professionals build confidence and capabilities in using digital technologies, understanding health data and its uses, and applying clinical informatics to improve patient outcomes.

Through this learning gateway, you will explore how digital systems and clinical informatics shape pharmacy practice from electronic patient records and decision support tools to safe data sharing and emerging technologies like AI.

The learning is flexible and interactive so you can complete this at your own pace whenever it suits you. Whether you’re just starting your digital journey or looking to advance your informatics expertise, this gateway will support you to embed digital best practice into your everyday work - for your patients, your team, and the future of the NHS.

The NHS Long Term Plan cites the importance of digital technologies within healthcare. Advances in technology will provide convenient ways for patients to access advice and care. New developments in healthcare apps and digital monitoring devices will allow people to take control of their own healthcare journey.

This programme will help you to understand what new digital technologies are available and how these can be applied within your own practice. It will also support you to improve your confidence in the use and application of data and technology.

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:

• describe digital healthcare and how it is relevant to your practice and users of your service
• recognise how digital technologies can improve patient safety
• identify the various data sources that can be used to support your practice and enable people to self-manage their long-term conditions
• discuss how digital technologies can transform and enhance healthcare
• signpost people to appropriate digital resources to optimise their healthcare.

The aim of this e-learning programme is to develop the awareness, understanding and skills necessary for community pharmacy teams to implement the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and associated legislation.

Learning Outcomes:

• describe the importance of GDPR
• discuss your responsibilities as a pharmacy team member with regards to GDPR
• explain how your pharmacy will demonstrate its compliance with GDPR
• identify a personal data incident within the pharmacy and know how to report it
• implement effective solutions to ensure your pharmacy is compliant with GDPR
• support other members of your pharmacy team to access resources which enable the implementation of GDPR.

This CPPE e-learning provides a structured introduction to digital health and clinical informatics and how it applies specifically to the pharmacy environment. It is suitable for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in all settings, including community, hospital, primary care, integrated care systems (ICSs), and health and justice.  

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:

• define digital health and clinical informatics  
• identify ways to apply digital health skills to improve patient care or service delivery
• discuss the importance of data quality, confidentiality and governance when using and recording patient information in digital systems  
• self-appraise your current digital skills and develop a personal action plan for further development linked to the 6 domains of the Health and Care Digital Capabilities Framework 
• describe how digital skills and clinical informatics are used across different pharmacy roles and settings.

This e-learning is designed for all staff working in the health and social care sector. It covers key learning about data security, good record keeping and the relevant laws that govern the use of information, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and associated legislation.

On this six-week course from King’s College London, you will explore data science concepts, focusing on how data is collected, analysed and used to inform professional practice in the healthcare sector.

This Working with computers to create opportunity e-course, hosted on LinkedIn Learning, covers computer and device basics including using Microsoft Office.

Please note: A LinkedIn Learning account is needed to access this e-course.

This Working and Collaborating Online e-course, hosted on LinkedIn Learning, covers the basics of accessing information online safely, and different ways to collaborate online, such as sharing content with One Drive.

Please note: A LinkedIn Learning account is needed to access this e-course.

This includes learning resources to support you in building knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) use in healthcare. The resources are mapped to the AI capability framework published by the NHS Digital Academy.

Learn about Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it is currently being used in the NHS and its potential in health and care through a series of resources and case studies.

A toolkit developed by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) designed to assist and empower you in integrating AI technologies into your practice to deliver safer, more affective and personalised care. 

These modules will support your understanding and recognition of digital clinical safety within your organisation.

This e-learning is designed for health and care staff who already have a foundation of knowledge of clinical risk management. It provides you with an update on the principles of clinical risk management in the context of Health IT systems. 

This e-learning is for health and care staff who have have additional responsibilities for information governance (IG). It covers the principles behind information sharing and how to have the confidence to apply them in practice.

This three course series introduces you to the role and application of digital health technologies in public health and healthcare globally and the design, development, implementation and evaluation of digital health interventions.

This e-assessment is linked with our Digital health and clinical informatics: an introduction e-learning programme and assesses you on the programme’s learning outcomes. 

Why should I do this assessment?

This e-assessment completes the learning you began with our Digital health and clinical informatics: an introduction e-learning programme. Access and successful completion will contribute to your own personal development plan, be recorded in your My CPPE record and will enable you to complete a revalidation record on the learning. It may also provide evidence for achieving competencies in the different competency frameworks that apply across your career. If you are working towards completing a Declaration of Competence for a pharmacy service, successful completion of this assessment may provide evidence of your learning.

The Digital Skills Assessment Tool (DSAT) is an online tool for NHS and social care workers. It helps you to assess your digital skills by answering a set of questions and then signposts to learning resources which will help improve your existing skills. 

The assessment is delivered through a network of Digital Learning centres. To find your registered centre, please visit the Digital Learning Solutions website.

The 10 Year Health Plan for England seizes the opportunities provided by new technologies, medicines, and innovations to deliver better care for all patients – wherever they live and whatever they earn – and better value for taxpayers.

It is making 3 big shifts to how the NHS works:

- from hospital to community: more care will be available on people’s doorsteps and in their homes

- from analogue to digital: new technology will liberate staff from admin and allow people to manage their care as easily as they bank or shop online

- from sickness to prevention: we’ll reach patients earlier and make the healthy choice the easy choice

Published July 2025.

This framework has been designed to support the digital capabilities of pharmacy professionals across different levels of practice. It includes links to resources to help improve your knowledge, skills and competencies in supporting your ability to adopt and adapt to the changes in practice that digital transformation will enable. 

The Topol Review makes recommendations that will enable NHS staff to make the most of innovative technologies such as genomics, digital medicine, artificial intelligence and robotics to improve services. 

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) outlines the opportunities, challenges and potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) within pharmacy now and in the future. 

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) outlines that digital capabilities need to be embedded into pharmacy professional development to enable transformation of practice.

This resource provides guidance on professional frameworks to support you with the development of digital skills and capabilities, including information on career pathways and digital leadership.