Data breaches rise as AI adoption and digital health advances in the UK

The survey of 1,750 healthcare IT professionals across the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Australia, uncovered the evolving landscape of healthcare technology adoption, the expansion of AI in healthcare into patient care, the broadening use of devices deployed, and the impacts and security risks of legacy technology in place.

AI’s surge in patient care

UK healthcare organisations’ use of AI jumped from 47% in 2024 to 94% in 2025, signalling a dramatic shift in budget prioritisation. Notably, AI has become more than just an admin support tool with 52% of those using it to diagnose medical conditions and 57% to personalise treatments.

"AI is changing the healthcare industry by enabling more accurate diagnoses, personalised treatment plans, and streamlined operations,” said Stefan Spendrup, VP of Sales, Northern and Western Europe at SOTI. “It’s clear that leveraging AI-driven insights will empower healthcare organisations to improve patient outcomes and the way care is delivered."

Legacy systems linger causing security issues

Almost all UK health IT leaders (99%) reported challenges with legacy systems, IoT, and telehealth. The same amount (99%) say their organisations utilise some form of connected devices or telehealth solutions for supporting patients remotely, increasing accessibility, saving time, and enhancing communication. However, close to three-quarters (73%) are using unintegrated, outdated systems for IoT and telehealth medical devices. This is higher than the global average of 65% and impacts interoperability, such as accessing real-time patient data all in one place and increasing security vulnerabilities. Nearly two-thirds (64%) frequently face downtime and tech issues and 43% say legacy systems make networks vulnerable to attack.

Due to reliance on legacy technology, several challenges emerge, particularly around device management. IT staff report being unable to deploy and manage new devices or printers (47%), support devices remotely or access detailed diagnostics (53%), and spending excessive time troubleshooting issues (41%). These challenges are especially pronounced in the UK compared to global averages.

Data security worries don’t match the threat

Although data security remains the top IT concern for the UK’s healthcare sector (24%), it has declined in importance from the previous year, when 33% cited it as their primary concern. This could indicate positive progress in keeping systems safe, however, 84% reported experiencing a breach (up from 71%). This shows an urgent need for robust data protection measures and substantial investment in securing sensitive healthcare information.

“It’s encouraging to see the UK’s healthcare sector embracing AI, but our latest report highlights a critical imbalance in broader IT priorities,” said Spendrup. “Legacy systems continue to hinder tech integration, and while data breaches are on the rise, IT teams are increasingly deprioritising data security. Addressing this disconnect is essential to ensure that innovation doesn’t come at the cost of resilience and security. Healthcare organisations are heading in the right direction, but to fully capitalise on emerging technology, they need to refocus and reallocate time and resources to upgrade their underlying IT infrastructures.” 

Report methodology

SOTI’s 2025 healthcare report surveyed 1,750 IT decision makers across 11 countries to uncover key insights into the evolving healthcare landscape. The core markets included 200 respondents in the US and the UK, and 150 respondents in Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Australia.