February 4th 2026
Our Digital Care in Focus theme for February is interoperability. Put simply, this is the ability to share and access information across multiple organisations and digital systems.
What is interoperability?
NHS England defines interoperability in health and social care as:
“The capability for people involved in the provision and receipt of care to interact and complete a task across software and organisational boundaries; and use systems from different vendors that work together in a coordinated way, with minimal human intervention.”
That definition is accurate, but it can feel abstract. A more straightforward way of thinking about interoperability is this:
Core information is added once and shared safely across systems, so it can be used wherever it is needed without being recreated.
At its heart, interoperability is about joining the dots. It reduces duplication, avoids gaps in information, and helps people work from the same basic understanding, without relying on phone calls, emails or manual workarounds.
Different tech, shared standards
Think about mobile phones and chargers. For years, incompatibility caused frustration, until the EU introduced a requirement that all new phones sold in the EU must be USB C compatible. Phones can still be different, but they share a common standard.
Interoperability in care works in a similar way. It is not about replacing every system or forcing everything into one platform. It is about enabling different systems, from different suppliers, to work together using shared standards so information can flow where it is needed.
What does interoperability look like in adult social care?
Interoperability matters in two key directions.
Between organisations
This is about how information moves between care providers, the NHS, local authorities and other partners. For example:
- hospital discharge summaries, medication lists and care plans transferring digitally to social care
- updates from GPs and NHS teams being shared in near real time
- professionals across health and care working from the same basic understanding of someone’s needs
When this works well, staff spend less time chasing information and more time supporting people.
Within organisations
This is just as important, but often overlooked. Many care providers use multiple digital systems, such as care records, rostering, workforce management, payroll and quality or compliance tools. When these systems do not connect, staff are often required to enter the same information more than once. That increases workload and the risk of errors.
Internal interoperability helps join the dots inside organisations, reducing duplication and making everyday work more manageable.
Why this matters now
For the first time, interoperability is being backed not just by policy ambition, but by law.
The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 introduces mandatory digital information standards for IT systems used across health and adult social care in England. These standards will apply to:
- local authority adult social care providers
- independent and private providers, including those registered with the Care Quality Commission
- NHS organisations
- IT suppliers providing systems to these organisations
Once the national standards are introduced, organisations will be required to ensure their digital systems comply. Suppliers who fail to meet the standards may face enforcement action.
The intention is to make secure, real time information sharing across health and social care the norm, not the exception. This marks a significant shift. Interoperability is no longer something organisations are simply encouraged to work towards. It is becoming part of the expected infrastructure of the system.
Implications for care providers
Care providers are not expected to become experts in legislation or technical standards. However, there are some important high level implications to be aware of:
- interoperability will increasingly be enabled through national information standards, rather than bespoke local solutions
- suppliers will be expected to demonstrate compliance with those standards
- good data quality and consistent recording matter more than ever
- interoperability must go hand in hand with strong data protection and cyber security.
Crucially, interoperability does not mean everyone can see everything.
Well-designed interoperable systems rely on role-based access, clear governance and accountability, audit trails, and safeguards that build trust. They also need to be designed around real ways of working, not idealised processes.
Achievable, necessary, and still challenging
Interoperability remains hard. But technology is improving, standards are becoming clearer, and there is growing agreement about what good looks like.
It is also increasingly necessary. Neighbourhood health services, integrated teams and care closer to home all depend on information being able to move safely and appropriately around the person.
The question now is not whether interoperability matters, but how we get it right.
Join the conversation
We would love to hear your questions, experiences and reflections.
Contact us at [email protected] or join the discussion on social media using #DigitalCareInFocus and #Interoperability.
You can also join our free webinar:
Interoperability in social care: from national policy to better care
24 February 2026, 1.00 pm
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