As new variants of the COVID-19 virus continue to pile pressure on already strained health services around the world, what hope is there for the future of medicine? With an ageing global population and a growing shortage of medical professionals, how can the healthcare industry get on top of the burgeoning workload to create breathing space for medical practitioners and better outcomes for all patients?

Hope lies with digital technology. While front line medicine and cutting-edge technology have always gone hand in hand, there remains considerable capacity for healthcare in general to reap the benefits of digital. The technology exists to greatly increase the capacity, inclusivity, accuracy, speed, efficiency, personalization and ultimately the outcomes of healthcare. The question is, how quickly can we bring it to bear?