Following her first two weeks at Hippo, we took some time to chat with our Director of Business Development – Health, Sarah Corbridge and get her thoughts on the Autumn Budget and what it means for the NHS and healthcare — and to get her first impressions of the herd.
In focus – what the Autumn Budget means for healthcare
The Autumn Budget sets out a £22.6 billion increase in total health and social care revenue and capital funding – focused on reducing waiting times, improving healthcare infrastructure, enhancing NHS productivity, improving patient experiences, and boosting recruitment and reform. This marks a much-needed boost to the pressures facing the NHS, around patient waiting lists, infrastructure and recruitment.
Here are the key facts and figures:
An additional £22.6 billion has been added to the budget in 2025-26 (compared to 2023-24), which delivers a 4% real-term growth rate for NHS England – the highest since 2010 (excluding COVID-19 years). The challenge will be ensuring that this increased spend addresses the core challenges facing the organisation, as well as the pledges outlined in Labour’s manifesto.
A £13.6 billion budget has been announced for NHS infrastructure, representing a 10.9% growth rate. This includes – £1.5 billion for surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners to support over 30,000 procedures and 1.25 million diagnostic tests, and over £1 billion to address the backlog of critical maintenance, especially around reinforced concrete, and improving NHS estate safety. Legacy systems and outdated technologies can hinder patient care, especially in critical areas such as cancer diagnosis. The focus on diagnostic scanners will be critical in ensuring that the NHS bridges the technology gap compared to other countries. This is an area where Artificial Intelligence and machine learning could play a role in the transformation of diagnostic services and predictive analytics. Check out Hippo’s work to design a Prioritisation Tool for Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust.
The budget also announced a target of 40,000 extra weekly elective appointments, to work toward the 18-week referral-to-treatment target. To succeed here, the NHS will need to address staffing and recruitment pressures and pool resources across neighbouring hospitals. User-centred digital solutions have a role to play in achieving this and providing NHS professionals with the tools they need to rise to these challenges and work efficiently.
A further £2 billion will be invested into NHS digital systems to streamline services, enhance cybersecurity, and improve patient access (through the NHS App). Improving patient experience and designing services that prioritise accessibility and inclusivity will be crucial to build a health service that works efficiently and for all. User-centred design leadership on core NHS services continues to deliver convenient and scalable platforms including the Register with a GP Service and NHS Login. We’re excited for the role that digital and data solutions will continue to play in shaping the NHS – but empathy for healthcare patients and NHS staff must be at the core.
Alongside these budget plans, £26 million has been allocated for new mental health crisis centres to alleviate A&E pressures, and a further £460 million to bolster pandemic readiness, including PPE and vaccine stockpiles. £600 million grant funding and an additional £86 million will be provided for disabled facilities grants, aiming to support independence and reduce hospitalisations. Furthermore, focused investment on community-based, preventive care, including new neighbourhood health services to shift care from hospitals to community settings.
£22.6 billion is a significant funding boost for the NHS and social care. The challenge will be ensuring that these investments translate into real, measurable improvements for patients and healthcare workers.
Part of the herd
As I enter my third week as part of the Hippo Herd I feel I have to focus in on the people. The culture here at Hippo is the closest I have experienced since leaving the NHS, people work with passion and pride to deliver value for their clients, with the acknowledgement that no two are the same and we must listen to deliver well.
I have already learnt and seen so much of the Hippo portfolio. I just know we can add further value to the NHS, and I’m excited to be part of it.
About Sarah
As Director of Business Development – Health at Hippo, Sarah will be developing opportunities that solve complex digital challenges and deliver transformational results for healthcare organisations, clinicians, and patients alike. Sarah is based in Leeds and is excited to be travelling the country to engage and support health professionals.
As a leader and innovator in digital health for over 23 years, Sarah has previously applied her expertise to transform health and social care at NHS Digital and Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT). Sarah has worked in several private sector commercial roles – including Credera, Dell, and Dedalus – working with healthcare organisations across the UK and EMEA to implement forward-looking healthcare innovation across integration, data, AI, machine learning, and multi-cloud capabilities.
Sarah’s leadership and patient-centred approach to healthcare delivery has earned her many accolades. Her work in the development of an interconnected Electronic Health Record (EHR) for LTHT led to recognition as one of One Health Tech’s 70 Influential Women. Last year she was recognised amongst Computer Weekly’s Most Influential Women in Tech 2023 and named in the Digital Leaders 100 list.
Sarah is an active contributor to KLAS Research and a previous TechUK board member with ambitions to return. About to complete a masters degree in Senior Leadership at Leeds Trinity University, Sarah also holds a qualification in Digital Health from the College of Health Information Managers and Executives (CHIME).
Sarah is dedicated to creating value and breaking down silos within health and social care. An agile leader, advisor, and advocate for open and collaborative healthcare systems, she champions transformation that is both scalable and deeply connected to the needs of patients and professionals alike.
