DHSC's AI-driven workplace boosts productivity | DXC Technology Customer Stories

Customer

UK Department of Health & Social Care

Location

United Kingdom

Industries

Public Sector

Offerings

Consulting & Engineering Services Cloud & Infrastructure Modern Workplace Security

Customer Stories | September 5, 2025

DHSC's AI-driven workplace boosts productivity

"Partnering with DXC has enabled us to reimagine the workplace—not just as a set of tools, but as a strategic platform for productivity, collaboration and employee experience.” 

— Phil Thompson, Deputy Director—Technology Services, Department of Health and Social Care

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) plays a vital role in the UK’s health and care system. While it does not directly deliver frontline treatment, it ensures that healthcare is both accessible and effective for millions of people across the UK.

DHSC is responsible for shaping policy, allocating funding and overseeing the systems that keep health and care services running. Its remit spans everything from maintaining NHS infrastructure to enabling social support services for vulnerable individuals.

Making sure DHSC and its systems are future-ready is essential to safeguarding the health and well-being of the nation. 
 

Leading through change

Amid societal pressures, DHSC used modernization as a way to guarantee its ability to deliver, and enhance productivity and create standout employee experiences.

In partnership with DXC Technology, DHSC overhauled its digital workplace to future-proof itself and become one of the most evolved and strategic platforms in UK government today. 

Departments that embrace modernization set the benchmark for what’s possible across the public sector: more agile services, improved employee experience and greater value for taxpayers.

A workplace built around people and performance

The transformation covered a wide range of services, including end-user compute, service desk, cloud hosting, security, network management and overall IT management.

At its core, the project delivered tangible outcomes across three key areas: improving user experience, enabling a smooth and secure transition to Windows 11, and embedding AI and automation into day-to-day operations.

Together, these focus areas have each shaped DHSC’s modern workplace:

  • User experience: At the heart of the transformation was a focus on employee experience. DHSC and DXC introduced real-time analytics using Nexthink telemetry and Qualtrics feedback to monitor user sentiment and identify areas of improvement. Employees now benefit from faster onboarding processes and better access to IT support. This has increased user satisfaction and reduced time lost to manual processes and service delays.
  • Windows 11 implementation: To prepare for the end of Windows 10 support and strengthen its digital foundation, DHSC partnered with DXC to deliver a smooth and secure transition to Windows 11. DXC supported DHSC with an automated Windows 11 deployment using Microsoft Intune and Autopilot, ensuring devices are provisioned securely and ready to use out of the box. Zero trust security was built in from the start, ensuring compliance by design. The new standardized environment has reduced IT complexity, improved resilience and enabled faster response to operational needs.
  • AI-driven workplace: DHSC piloted Microsoft 365 Copilot with 400 users over four weeks, uncovering an average productivity gain of 29 minutes per user per day. The pilot not only showcased the immediate time savings but also highlighted the potential for AI to reshape how employees work. 

Building on this success, DHSC is now taking a broader approach to AI adoption, from intelligent automation to proactive analytics and self-healing technologies. DHSC is embedding AI in its day-to-day processes.

Results that matter

DHSC has built a workplace platform that is more secure, efficient and user-focused.

Windows 11 deployed across DHSC
29 minutes of daily productivity gains through AI pilot
Real-time experience analytics standardized across the organization
Reduced friction in IT support and faster issue resolution
Improved security and readiness for future compliance

A benchmark for government

DHSC has established itself as a benchmark for digital workplace transformation across the UK public sector. Its modern platform supports hybrid working, simplifies infrastructure and gives staff the tools to do their jobs more effectively.

Most importantly, a modern workplace allows the department to focus on what matters most: keeping the UK’s health and care systems running efficiently.

“Embedding AI and automation into our operations has helped DHSC become more agile, responsive and future-ready," said Phil Thompson, Deputy Director, Technology Services, DHSC.

 

 

Looking ahead

DHSC is now preparing to expand the use of Microsoft 365 Copilot across more teams, while also exploring new technologies that will enhance resilience and performance. This includes evaluating post-quantum cryptographic standards to strengthen security, and using predictive observability tools to detect and resolve issues before they impact users.

With DXC’s support, these innovations will be guided by real-time user feedback and experience data, ensuring DHSC’s modern workplace continues to evolve and meet the goals of the department and the needs of its employees. 


The big picture

DHSC’s workplace transformation is a powerful example of the impact modernization can deliver. Working with DXC, the department has replaced legacy systems with a secure, cloud-first, AI-enhanced environment that improves how people work—and by extension, how they deliver essential services to the public.

As more organizations look to prepare for the Windows 11 upgrade and meet rising expectations around user experience and operational agility, DXC helps them unlock performance gains, strengthen security and create modern workplaces that are ready for what’s next.

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