How does the public feel about health technologies and data?

Findings from our 2024 attitudes survey

Introduction

The potential for advances in health technology and data to support the NHS is growing, particularly with the NHS facing record demand. The Labour government, elected in July 2024, prioritised health technology as a key part of its manifesto, aiming to enhance efficiency, improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce waiting times and deliver better patient care and outcomes across the health system.

The government has stated its intention to shift the NHS from analogue to digital systems as a core part of its forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan. There are also a wide range of health technology initiatives underway, including on electronic health records, virtual wards, the NHS app and the Federated Data Platform – software that will enable NHS organisations to bring together data stored in separate systems to support the planning and delivery of patient care.

However, as we noted in the first wave of our work exploring attitudes towards the use of digital health technologies and data in 2023, if new uses are to succeed, it is essential they have the support of the public. As seen with previous data controversies such as over the care.data or General Practice Data for Planning and Research schemes, a lack of public support can significantly constrain innovation and service transformation. As such, there is a growing need to understand public attitudes on this topic and engage people in a conversation about health technologies and data, and the future of care. The insights gathered can then help inform the effective development of technologies and data solutions. 

To help build this understanding, we commissioned a nationally representative public survey to investigate attitudes towards health technology and data and the key factors affecting these views. In this analysis, we outline the findings and what they suggest for engaging with the public on health technologies and data. Our earlier publication based on this survey specifically reported on attitudes towards artificial intelligence. 

The public is, on balance, positive about the impact of technologies on health care quality

The public is more positive than negative about the impact of technology on the quality of health care. 51% think technology makes the quality of health care better, compared with just 8% who think technology makes it worse and 29% who think it does not change the quality (see Figure 1).

While the public, in general, is positive about technology use in health care, sentiment varies significantly across different socioeconomic groups. As seen in Figure 2, positive sentiment towards technology decreases consistently between socioeconomic group A and E. While around 65% of people in socioeconomic group A think using technology makes the quality of health care better, only 41% of people in socioeconomic group E agree. It should be noted, however, that much of this decline is due to heightened uncertainty about the impact of health technologies on care quality, with the percentage of people saying they ‘don’t know’ how they feel rising from 6% in socioeconomic group A to 22% in socioeconomic group E.

The survey highlights the importance of considering the acceptability and impact of technologies across different groups, particularly those at higher risk of experiencing disparities in health care access and quality.

Sentiments vary across technologies

While public sentiment about the potential impact of technologies on care quality is far more positive than negative, our survey also highlights that public opinion varies across different technologies. We presented respondents with a variety of scenarios where health technologies might be used – such as a robot controlled by a surgeon to perform surgery on them or computer software being used to help NHS staff decide when they should be seen – and asked whether they would or would not be happy with each scenario for their own care. As shown in Figure 3, support varies significantly across the different scenarios. The public is, on balance, positive about most scenarios. For example, 76% are happy to use technology to monitor their health at home instead of in hospital, and only 14% unhappy. However, overall, the public is not happy for a robot to provide some of their personal care, with 50% saying they would not be happy compared with 33% who would be.

These results are consistent with previous Health Foundation research suggesting that uses of technology with the potential to enhance patients’ connection to health services (such as continuous health monitoring or accessing care records) are more popular than those that could be seen to ‘come between’ or ‘distance’ patients from staff in some way (such as care robots).  

Concerns around ‘distancing’ are especially prominent among older people. When asked about the most important factors when using health technologies, the public ranks being able to see and talk to NHS staff when needed as the most important consideration, followed by the need for sufficient evidence that the technology is safe and the need to ensure personal data is kept safe and secure. While being able to see and talk to NHS staff when needed was ranked as the most important factor by all age groups, the number of people selecting this rose significantly with age. 

As shown in Figure 4, nearly 4 in 10 (39%) people aged 65 and over said that being able to see and talk to NHS staff when needed is their most important consideration when thinking about technology use in health care, compared with just 2 in 10 (21%) of those aged 16 to 24 years old.

Public trust in the NHS with health data is high

Our survey also investigated public attitudes towards the use of health data by the NHS and other organisations. Despite recent debates in the media (for example, surrounding the Federated Data Platform), public trust in the NHS with health data is high (see Figure 5). NHS organisations are the most trusted by the public, with around two-thirds of the public saying they trust the NHS with their health data. However, the public is a lot less trusting of government, with only around a third (33%) saying they trust local and national government with their health data. This suggests NHS organisations are in a stronger position to communicate and engage with the public on issues related to health data to help improve public understanding and confidence.

Additionally, younger people (16- to 24-year-olds) are less likely than older people to be concerned about whether they are sharing their health data with the NHS or with private organisations. For example, 52% of 16- to 24-year-olds trust private health care providers with their health data, compared with 55% who trust national NHS organisations. Conversely, older people place much greater trust in the NHS when it comes to their health data. 47% of people aged 65 and over reported trusting private health care providers with their health data, compared with 68% who trust national NHS organisations.

Despite differences in trust across age groups and a recent series of high-profile cyber-attacks, public confidence that the NHS is storing data securely is strong. Over two-thirds (68%) of the public are confident the NHS is storing their data securely. However, further research is needed to understand why 29% of the public express lower confidence in how their data is stored by the NHS. 

The public has relatively high levels of trust in the NHS and confidence in how data are stored despite only 42% feeling as though they have control over how their data are being used by the NHS. There are also significant demographic differences in perceived control. For example, 57% of people in socioeconomic group A think they have some control over how their data are being used, compared with 31% of people in socioeconomic group E. The results suggest there is not a simple relationship between feelings of control and feelings of trust and confidence. 

Support for linking data varies by type of data

We also asked the public whether they would be happy for their health data from various sources to be linked together in different scenarios. We found that the public’s willingness to have their data brought together from different sources depends considerably on the type of data.

Figure 6 shows the majority of the public (72%) are happy for their GP surgery and hospital to share information about their health with each other. On balance, the public is also happy for the NHS to see data about their health stored in their phone, like how many steps they have taken (48% are happy, compared with 40% who are not). However, the public, on balance, is not supportive of the NHS seeing data from two other non-clinical sources: almost two-thirds of the public (64%) is not happy for the NHS to see information about their shopping, or information collected about them through their use of social media (68%). 

Age also influences how happy people are to have their data linked. As shown in Figure 7, older people are happier than other age groups for their health data to be linked between GP practices and hospitals. Additionally, older people, particularly those aged 65 and over, are significantly less happy to share information about their shopping or information collected through their use of social media compared with younger age groups.

The public is, on balance, willing to help shape technology use in the NHS

Public involvement is an essential part of shaping the responsible development and use of technology in health care. It is important to ensure innovations work for everyone, reflect the views and preferences of different social groups and do not inadvertently worsen inequalities. As more technologies, including AI and data-driven tools, are increasingly integrated into the NHS, it is vital that the public’s perspectives and differences are meaningfully reflected. This should include not only engaging and involving the public but also providing them with the knowledge and confidence to better understand a data-driven health care system. This will help to build trust and ensure these tools are used fairly, transparently and for the benefit of all.

Public support for sharing at least some of their data for AI development is high 

The development of AI systems that work properly and fairly requires large amounts of high-quality data. We therefore asked people whether they would be happy for their health data to be used to develop AI systems for the NHS. We found that 29% are happy for any of their health data to be used to develop AI systems, with a further 46% of the public happy to share some of their health data for this purpose. This means that, in total, 75% of the public are happy to share at least some of their data for AI systems development. 

However, public willingness to share their data varies considerably by type of data, as shown in Figure 8. Looking across the population as a whole, including those who said they are happy to share any of their data, a majority of people are happy to share information about their eye health (59% supportive compared with 33% unsupportive), while a majority of people are not happy to share data related to their sexual health (44% supportive compared with 46% unsupportive). 

Figure 8 illustrates total public support for data sharing for AI development based on the type of data being shared. This assumes that the 29% of the public who said they are happy for any of their data to be used for AI development are happy to share all types of data, and that the 25% of the public who said they are not happy for any of their data to be used are not happy to share any of them.

While 25% of the public are not happy to share any of their data for the development of AI systems for the NHS, there is variation across socioeconomic groups. People from socioeconomic group E are the most concerned when it comes to sharing their data to develop AI systems. While 16% of people from socioeconomic group A are not happy for any of their health data to be used, this compares with 39% of people from socioeconomic group E. The results highlight the need for targeted efforts to build trust and address specific concerns – especially around consent and choice in the collection and use of personal data – across all socioeconomic groups to ensure AI developments are inclusive, accessible and equitable.

Willingness to help shape technology design and use in the NHS varies across socioeconomic groups

We also presented respondents with a list of ways they could help shape technology use in the NHS – such as completing a survey or taking part in a workshop – and asked if they would be willing to participate in any of these activities, and if so, whether this depended on remuneration. 

The results show that while the level of willingness to take part was generally high, there was considerable variation across the different activities presented. For example, while 93% of the public are willing to complete a survey, with 45% of the public willing to do so without being paid, this drops to 69% for attending a group discussion, with only 31% willing to do so without being paid.

Similar to the variations in public willingness to share data for the development of AI systems, there are also significant differences in willingness across socioeconomic groups. Figure 9 shows that, even if paid, people from socioeconomic groups D and E are significantly less willing to take part in any of the activities presented to help shape technology use than people from other socioeconomic groups. Notably, a significant proportion of people from socioeconomic groups D and E are not willing to attend a group discussion (42%) or participate in a workshop (38%), even if paid. The results highlight that while public support to help shape technology use in the NHS is generally high, additional considerations beyond financial incentives may be needed when looking to co-design technologies with people from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Conclusion

As the government embarks on its plan to shift the NHS from analogue to digital, the findings of this survey can help inform the process. They offer valuable insights into public attitudes toward digital health technologies and data, with implications for how to build public trust, ensure inclusivity and address concerns. 

Overall, the public is positive about the role of technology and data in health care. However, important considerations remain for policymakers and NHS leaders in shaping this agenda. Views about different applications of technology and data vary across demographics and depend heavily on how these tools are implemented and used in practice. 

Here, we summarise the key insights from the findings of our survey, along with their implications for NHS leaders, practitioners and policymakers. 

• Overall, the public views health care technologies as impacting positively on care quality, though work remains to build broader support. In particular, perspectives vary across socioeconomic groups, with those in socioeconomic groups D and E notably less positive. Policymakers and NHS leaders will need to actively engage with the public to understand and address concerns, especially within social groups that are currently less supportive.
• While the public recognises the potential advantages of health care technologies, many still value the option to talk to NHS staff when needed – and this is particularly important to older people. It is therefore essential that the use of health care technologies protects, and ideally enhances, this human dimension of care – an important consideration for those involved in technology design and implementation. 
• Trust in the NHS with health data is high compared with other institutions, suggesting NHS organisations are well placed to engage the public on health data topics. Policymakers and NHS leaders should consider how they can leverage this trust to help improve understanding and build greater confidence in the use of health data.
• On balance, the public is willing for at least some of their health data to be used for the development of AI systems in the NHS, but this willingness varies considerably by the type of data. A consent model that allows the public greater autonomy over which types of data they share may help increase participation in data sharing.
• Many of the public are willing to help shape technology use in the NHS. However, this willingness is notably lower among those in socioeconomic groups D and E, posing a risk that technologies may be designed in ways that do not benefit everyone. It is therefore important for policymakers, NHS leaders and those involved in designing and implementing health care technologies to proactively engage with all social groups, particularly those traditionally underrepresented in user engagement, to ensure health care technologies help tackle inequalities rather than worsen them.

An inclusive approach to the use of technology and data in the NHS is important to ensure it works for everyone. How digital tools are designed and implemented will likely determine how successful they are in practice. Policymakers and NHS leaders can help ensure this success by prioritising approaches that engage all social groups.