Cyber Security Is Everyone’s Responsibility

What the New NHS Cyber Security Charter Means for Suppliers - and You 

As digital transformation accelerates across health and care, cybersecurity must be embedded as a strategic priority to ensure safe, resilient, and trusted services. The launch of the NHS Cyber Security Charter for Suppliers, marks a major milestone in recognising that protecting digital infrastructure is not just an IT-only issue, it’s a shared responsibility across suppliers, NHS organisations, frontline staff, and system leaders.
 

What Is the NHS Cyber Security Charter? 

The Charter sets out clear expectations for suppliers delivering digital services and technologies to the NHS. Its objective? To build a stronger, more consistent foundation for cybersecurity across the supplier landscape, ensuring patient data, operational systems, and digital infrastructure are secure by design. 

Covering everything from basic cyber hygiene to incident reporting, the Charter places accountability, transparency, and collaboration at the heart of future supplier relationships. In a sector where the stakes are high, this is about more than compliance, it's about trust, resilience, and improved patient safety. 

What the Charter Means for Suppliers 

The Charter outlines key policy on moving from reactive security measures to a proactive, system-wide approach that recognises the role every partner plays in protecting patient data and critical infrastructure. 

For suppliers, this means: 

• Aligning products, services, and internal processes with NHS cyber standards, from the design stage through to implementation and ongoing support. 
• Demonstrating transparency and accountability, particularly in how security risks are identified, communicated, and resolved. 
• Collaborating more closely with NHS organisations and regulators to stay ahead of emerging threats and meet shared objectives. 
• This shift places cybersecurity at the heart of procurement, contracting, and delivery—and provides clarity on expectations to help vendors succeed in this evolving landscape. 

Why Third-Party Cybersecurity Is Crucial for Protecting the NHS Supply Chain 

Clinicians rely on digital tools and systems, many developed and managed by third-party suppliers, to deliver safe, efficient care. But every connection in that digital supply chain is a potential vulnerability if not properly secured.  

For suppliers, this means cybersecurity is no longer optional or siloed, it's a core part of your partnership with the NHS. From EPR platforms to diagnostic tools and AI systems, the way you design, deliver, and support your technology must reflect shared responsibility for data protection, system resilience, and care continuity. 

Improved cyber practices help: 

• Safeguard patient data and clinical workflows by ensuring suppliers don’t become backdoors for attacks. 
• Protect against service disruption, so frontline teams can rely on digital systems during critical moments. 
• Strengthen trust and accountability across procurement, delivery, and innovation. 

The NHS Cyber Security Charter sets a clear, consistent standard for what’s expected. When suppliers embed security from day one, they help create a safer, more resilient health system and a stronger partnership with the clinical teams who depend on them. 

Why The Charter Matters Now 

With health and care systems under growing pressure, from global cyber threats to tight budgets and legacy infrastructure, getting the basics right has never been more critical. As cyberattacks become more sophisticated and frequent, the Charter stands to help to bridge the gap between innovation and security, providing a unified approach to supplier engagement and risk management. 

For HETT 2025, we’re digging deeper into what this Charter means in practice and what it demands from suppliers, system leaders, and the wider workforce. From cultural change to technical integration, conversations this October will explore how we can make cybersecurity proactive, people-centred, and future-ready. Whether you're a digital lead, supplier, or clinician, this is your chance to share experiences and shape future practice. 

Check out our agenda here to see these sessions in more detail.  

Cyber Resilience Starts Now 

The NHS Cyber Security Charter signals a clear message: Cybersecurity is foundational to safe, effective, and trustworthy care. It must be baked into procurement, innovation, workforce culture, and strategic planning from day one. 

At HETT 2025, we’re creating the space to share, challenge, and co-design that future together. Whether you're part of a Trust, a vendor, a policymaker or a frontline clinician, your perspective matters and your action is vital. 

Join us at HETT 2025 (7–8th October, ExCeL London) and be part of the movement to secure health and care for the digital age. 

Join us at our upcoming event, HETT Show on 7-8th October at ExCeL London to be part of the conversation. Register below.