Cybersecurity in UK healthcare is under mounting pressure. As more embrace digital transformation, relying on more vendors, contractors, and interconnected devices, the risk of cyberattacks and breaches increases. Attacks like the 2024 Synnovis cyberattack, which disrupted over 11,000 NHS appointments and procedures and cost an estimated £32.7 million, reveal the implications of increasing threats in this changing landscape.

Shared-use mobile devices have become indispensable tools in NHS wards, enabling faster communication, streamlined workflows, and more responsive patient care. Yet Imprivata research exposes a striking dual reality: while UK hospitals save an average of £522,000 annually by using shared-use devices instead of personal ones, 47% still lack a formal management policy, leaving critical security and operational gaps that threaten to undermine these gains.