Professor Sultan Mahmud, Director of Health and Communities at BT Business, spoke with Building Better Healthcare about the digital transformation underway in the NHS, the challenges of modernising ageing infrastructure, and how his experience in the health service shapes BT’s approach.
Having spent over 25 years in the NHS, Mahmud brings a unique perspective to his current role.
“I started as a young trainee and worked my way up. I’ve worked across technology, strategy, and operations, in primary, secondary, and community care. I’m a mongrel, with pretty much end-to-end experience of the NHS,” he said.
Mahmud’s focus shifted during the pandemic, when he began exploring how technology could best support patients and staff in hospitals and clinics.
He soon realised that administration and management, particularly using digital solutions, was where he could make the greatest impact.
“Technology must add to social value. Are we supporting digital skills shortages? Are we enhancing infrastructure beyond procurement? I put myself in my previous shoes, thinking about what I used to look for when buying for the NHS: people who are consistent, reliable, and who understand our intimate customer problems,” Mahmud explained.
Telehealth and AI
Telehealth and remote care have emerged as key priorities in the NHS’s 10-year plan, shifting services from hospitals to the community.
“IoT platforms can coalesce data from wearables and other sensing technologies, make sense of it, and provide clinical risk escalation,” Mahmud said.
An IoT platform is a software framework that acts as a central hub to connect, manage, and process data from physical devices and sensors, enabling them to work together and provide actionable insights.
In another route, specifically, AI is an area where BT is making a difference.
“We rolled out an AI programme across 10 hospitals to address the elective waiting list crisis. The program analyses radiology reports in real time, integrates findings into the workflow, and supports clinicians, effectively increasing their capacity,” he said.
BT has also trialled AI solutions in back-office operations.
In one Southeast England organisation, a 12-week trial revealed £400,000 in savings on HR and finance functions, funds that were redeployed to frontline care.
“That’s just one organisation. Imagine scaling this up nationwide,” Mahmud noted.
Tackling infrastructure challenges
Most NHS hospitals in England are investing tens of millions in Electronic Patient Record (EPR) upgrades, which require significant capital and human resources.
“Organisations need to move to cloud platforms to meet data processing, storage, and transit requirements. But do NHS staff have the digital skills to fully leverage this technology?” Mahmud questioned.
BT focuses on building partnerships that ensure strong digital infrastructure, from networks to security to cloud computing, while keeping data in a sovereign, compliant state.
Cybersecurity and trust
Cybersecurity remains a critical concern.
In February, BT Health, released a report which found that 94% of NHS staff understand their role in protecting the organisation from cyber-attacks, yet only 36% believe current measures are sufficient.
“As devices proliferate and organisations merge, the attack surface grows. Globally, negative actors are constantly threatening operations. Cybersecurity is a huge risk,” Mahmud said.
BT supports the NHS through cyber gap analyses, toolkits, and training, helping organisations identify weaknesses and improve resilience.
Mahmud stressed that public trust in data security is essential for digital adoption: “If patients don’t feel their data is safe, they won’t engage with digital tools like the NHS app.”
Interoperability and digital skills
Legacy systems continue to challenge NHS digital transformation.
“At least 10–15% of NHS organisations are on hardware that doesn’t support AI or IoT. Integration and interoperability issues remain unresolved, despite heavy investment in EPRs,” Mahmud said.
The survey from BT, which included 150 NHS organisations, revealed that 75% of staff feel they lack the digital skills needed, 47% say outdated technology causes stress, and 98% prioritise secure networks.
“Unless we get cybersecurity right, the tech revolution needs not just capital investment but also public trust,” Mahmud emphasized.
Looking ahead
Mahmud highlighted BT’s work on a sovereign cloud platform to optimise data security, compliance, and operational efficiency at scale.
“If the UK wants a robust digital backbone for the NHS, our sovereign platform will be essential. It ensures operational platforms work securely, data is protected, and public trust is maintained,” he said.
He also noted that BT is working on developing collaborations with leading universities on healthcare leadership, preparing a cadre capable of deploying new technologies across the NHS.
Mahmud has been recognised as one of the “100 Vibrant Faces of the UK Economy” and among the “100 Most Influential People in Digital Healthcare.”
He sees a strong link between business, health-tech innovation, and public service.
“It’s about creating digital solutions that add real social value, improve patient outcomes, and enable staff to work more efficiently,” he concluded.