The gap between workforce readiness and AI adoption in healthcare

From speeding up diagnostic scans to reducing the administrative burden on clinicians, the potential for technology to improve patient outcomes is already being seen across healthcare.
 
However, getting the best from advancements in technology requires the time and resource to provide training and support.

Our Annual Business Trends Report 2026, which captures the perspectives of over 4,500 senior decision-makers across the UK, reveals while investment in technology is accelerating, investment in the people required to use it is lagging behind.

The rise of AI adoption in healthcare

Commissioners are facing mounting pressure to meet rising demand with fewer and fewer resources to cover it. Could it be perhaps, that recognising the benefits of improved efficiency is central to the solution? Well, our report is telling us that this may well be the case. Technology is a clear priority for healthcare organisations this year, with AI adoption and integration commanding 54% of investment across organisations. Cyber security and data analytics also rank highly, reflecting a sector keen to modernise and protect its infrastructure.

However, when we look at the other side of this digital transformation—investment in people—the picture changes dramatically. Talent retention in the NHS is a huge problem - multifactorial pressures on employees resulting in real challenges with respect to retention - people retiring, going oversees, or changing professions as result of working conditions. Yet, talent retention and employee experience account for just 10.8% of investment across all industries. While healthcare providers allocate slightly more to this area at 14%, it remains the lowest priority for respondents.

This creates a critical imbalance. Under the promise of efficiencies that can be delivered by AI, organisations are placing five times more emphasis on technological enhancements than they are on workforce and skills development, and it’s preparing your teams to integrate the technology into their day to day role is where some of the most important work begins.

But let’s not forget why organisations are pursuing this technology in the first place. We’re already seeing AI make a tangible difference in several key areas:

• Faster analysis: AI helps clinicians analyse scans and diagnostic data more quickly, reducing wait times for results.
• Streamlining triage and patient flow: AI supports urgent care or GP practices, helping patients access the right care, faster.
• Reduced administration: Automating routine tasks frees up staff capacity, directly supporting overstretched teams.

These benefits bolster care, improve outcomes, and reduce burnout. But these outcomes rely on a constructive relationship between people and the tech they use.

Digital skills gaps

Notably, the report identifies skills gaps as the second biggest operational challenge facing organisations today, trailing – perhaps unsurprisingly – behind economic uncertainty.

Despite recognising the problem, the urgency to fix it hasn’t yet translated into hiring strategies. Our data shows that only 57% of healthcare providers are actively hiring people with experience in AI; lower than the cross-industry average of 62%.

But, for technology to be embedded successfully across workflows, professionals need to feel confident using them. They need to know that these tools are there to support them, not replace them or complicate their jobs. Yet without this alignment, healthcare organisations risk investing in systems that sit underutilised, while staff continue to struggle with legacy processes.

An opportunity for workforce optimisation

There’s clearly a strong desire within the sector to get this balance right. Our findings show that 35% of healthcare providers want to optimise workforce planning. So, the intent to improve is there.

However, the persistence of undefined goals points to the need for clearer digital roadmaps. Because while most organisations openly acknowledge that skills gaps are a major operational hurdle, investment in training and development continues to languish at the bottom of the priority list, ranking only tenth. And by prioritising AI over talent development, organisations risk building engines without training drivers.

Plus, only 42% of healthcare respondents stated that they feel aligned with the NHS 10 year plan, but bridging this gap is critically within it: ‘The prize is enormous, but realising this opportunity will require a programme of profound change. Today’s NHS is not set up to harness the technology advances we are seeing. We will need new types of skills in the workforce. We will need new infrastructure in the community. We will need new reforms to how the system is organised and how money flows around it. We will need to embrace technology and build new partnerships with innovators. We will need new ways to actively empower patients.’

How to promote digital skills development

We’ve put together a short list of strategies that can help healthcare organisations boost people readiness for AI:

1. Invest in practical training

Move AI training and development higher up the priority list. Ongoing, role-specific training and support builds confidence and enables real-world adoption.

2. Build a collaborative culture

Encourage open dialogue and champion the message that AI is here to empower, not replace. Peer champions and local experts can ease the path to change.

3. Develop a clear roadmap

Define what AI success looks like with clear milestones linked to both technology and workforce readiness.

Bridging the gap between people and AI adoption in healthcare

It’s clear the importance healthcare organisations are placing on digital transformation. But AI, as it stands today, requires skilled operators and genuine collaboration between humans and tech to deliver value. And by investing in people—giving them the skills, confidence, and alignment they need—healthcare providers can unlock the full potential of emerging tech.

The future of healthcare is digital, but it’s powered by people. Let’s ensure they’re ready.

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