The recent announcement about NHS decentralisation has prompted considerable discussion and uncertainty among IT leaders across healthcare organisations. At the heart of these discussions lies a critical question:
How could decentralisation impact key cybersecurity initiatives like Secure Boundary?
Secure Boundary: A cornerstone of NHS cybersecurity
Secure Boundary has established itself as a cornerstone in NHS cybersecurity strategy, currently deployed across many NHS organisations. Its role in protecting the centralised ingress and egress points of healthcare data traffic is crucial. Despite potential administrative decentralisation, the technical necessity of maintaining centralised security controls, especially at major NHS trusts, remains highly compelling, not just for cybersecurity, but to ensure uninterrupted access to clinical systems, patient records, and critical care services.
To illustrate, let’s consider a hypothetical scenario using a typical NHS trust with multiple significant sites (hospitals) and 10’s of local community sites. Each site routes its traffic through centralised points (generally the main hospitals), ensuring robust security monitoring and control. This approach, mirrored across many NHS trusts, underscores why decentralising IT connectivity outside of the Trust would introduce unnecessary complexity and potential risk.
What’s technically possible isn’t always operationally wise
From a purely technical perspective, decentralising cybersecurity architecture is feasible, modern technologies enable distributed security operations and localised data handling. However, the core question isn’t technical feasibility but rather operational necessity and security prudence. Introducing decentralisation at scale could fracture a unified security approach, leading to varying standards, increased complexity, and heightened risk, including challenges in maintaining consistent governance, adherence to the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT), and other NHS-specific compliance obligations.
At WhiteSpider, our perspective extends beyond immediate commercial opportunities. While some vendors might advocate for decentralisation to increase short-term sales opportunities, our view aligns with the broader ethical and operational interests of healthcare providers. While some vendors may promote decentralisation to drive short-term sales, our approach aligns with the broader ethical and operational priorities of healthcare providers. For NHS organisations already invested in Secure Boundary, we recommend focusing on maximising the value of that investment, rather than reacting hastily to the decentralisation announcement.
Secure Boundary also supports broader NHS strategic goals, from enabling safe data-sharing across ICS boundaries to laying the groundwork for future initiatives like AI, population health analytics, and integrated care. Any changes to this infrastructure should consider its role in supporting long-term transformation, not just immediate cybersecurity needs.
After all, more than 190 healthcare organisations, including 22 CNSPs, are currently using Secure Boundary. It won’t be something that can simply be switched off overnight; any changes will require a carefully phased rollout.
Stability through 2026: A window for optimisation and strategic planning
Currently, NHS Digital has confirmed that the existing Secure Boundary structure will continue at least until July 2026. This timeline offers stability, allowing NHS trusts to consider their options and strategically plan their future cybersecurity landscapes without immediate pressure to change.
In summary, the potential impact of NHS decentralisation on Secure Boundary should be viewed through a lens of practicality, security best practices, and ethical responsibility. Rather than rushing toward change driven by market forces, we encourage NHS Trusts to thoughtfully consider the long-term implications of decentralisation, making the most of existing robust infrastructure and strategic planning for future cybersecurity needs.
At WhiteSpider, we remain committed to guiding NHS organisations through these complex decisions, ensuring that operational continuity, patient safety, and cybersecurity integrity remain paramount.