Why recognising impact is key to the future digital workforce
This article was first published on Digital Health.
We can’t build a sustainable digital workforce without recognising impact across all levels, writes Nadira Hussain, chief executive officer at Socitm
Serving as a judge for the Digital Health Impact List 2026 has been a real privilege.
It’s also been a timely reminder of how far the digital health workforce has come and how deliberately we now need to shape its future.
Across health, local government and the wider public sector, we often focus on technology, platforms and transformation programmes.
Those things matter, but the Impact List cuts through that.
What struck me most during the judging process was not simply the strength of individual achievements, but the breadth and maturity of impact on display.
The submissions reflected a workforce that is no longer emerging, but increasingly established, confident and self-aware.
While digital health is often framed as a story of innovation and tools, the Impact List tells a more human story, which is rooted in leadership, collaboration, inclusion and professional growth.
Impact beyond title or hierarchy
One of the most powerful aspects of the Impact List is its rejection of narrow, hierarchical definitions of impact.
Many of the strongest submissions showed how transformation happens through everyday influence.
This strongly reflects my experience across the wider public sector.
Sustainable digital transformation does not come from a small group of specialists or senior leaders alone
Whether in the NHS or local government, sustainable digital transformation does not come from a small group of specialists or senior leaders alone.
It depends on a much wider workforce — people who have the skills, confidence and backing to lead change wherever they sit.
If we don’t recognise that, transformation simply won’t stick.
Inclusion as the foundation of sustainability
The judging process reinforced that inclusion is central to impact, not an optional extra.
The Impact List recognises people from different professional backgrounds, disciplines, geographies and career stages. In doing so, it challenges assumptions about who “belongs” in digital health — and, by extension, in digital public services.
Too often, digital professions have been constrained by unspoken expectations around technical background, linear career pathways or sector mobility.
The Impact List pushes back against this, valuing contribution over job title and lived experience over formal authority.
This matters enormously if we are serious about building resilient and diverse talent pipelines across health and local government, particularly at a time of persistent workforce pressure.
Linking health and local government talent pipelines
As chief executive officer at Socitm, I am deeply committed to developing a strong, inclusive digital, data and technology (DDaT) workforce across local government.
Many of the challenges facing councils, such as skills shortages, retention pressures, competition with the private sector and constrained resources, closely mirror those seen in the NHS.
The solutions are also shared. We need clearer professional pathways, better recognition of impact, and stronger signals about what good digital public service looks like in practice.
We must make digital and data careers visible, accessible and attractive to people from a wide range of backgrounds
We must make digital and data careers visible, accessible and attractive to people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Recognising impact in real organisations, under real constraints, demystifies digital leadership and shows that there is no single route to making a meaningful contribution.
Recognition, retention and professional identity
These themes matter acutely in a context of sustained workforce pressure. Across public services, people are navigating high demand, constant change and limited capacity.
Recognition plays a significant role in whether individuals feel motivated to stay, develop and lead.
The Impact List is not about awards for their own sake. It is about visibility, validation and connection. It helps individuals see themselves as part of a wider professional community.
From both a health and local government perspective, that sense of professional identity and belonging is a critical, yet often undervalued, lever for retention.
Professionalism, accreditation and trust
This growing confidence and maturity connects directly to wider conversations about professionalism, accreditation and standards in digital roles.
As a director at the Federation for Informatics Professionals, I see these discussions as a sign of progress.
They reflect a sector increasingly willing to articulate its responsibilities, values and expectations.
Professional accreditation is about building trust, clarifying expectations and recognising expertise developed through diverse routes.
The Impact List complements this work, bringing professional standards to life through concrete examples of leadership and impact.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead, the Digital Health Impact List has an important role in shaping the future digital workforce.
By amplifying diverse role models, it helps others see a place for themselves in digital careers and anchors digital transformation firmly in public value.
The Digital Health Impact List has an important role in shaping the future digital workforce
If we are serious about the future of public services, we must invest not only in systems, but in people’s development, wellbeing and recognition.
From my perspective, as a judge and as a key contributor to the development of DDaT across health and care, I’m convinced that recognising impact is not a “nice to have”.
It is a strategic necessity for building sustainable digital, data and technology capability across health, local government and the wider public sector.
The Digital Health Impact List 2026 is sponsored by DELL Technologies. Nominations are now closed and judging is underway. The final list will be published in summer 2026.
