Shelagh Maloney, CEO of Digital Health Canada, explains how digital transformation is reshaping opportunities across the Canadian healthcare market
For UK health technology companies looking overseas, Canada is attracting serious attention. The similarities with the NHS are immediately recognisable: a publicly funded healthcare system, workforce pressures, long waiting lists and regional variation in access to care. Both systems also face mounting pressure to modernise through digital transformation.
Canada is entering a period of change. Provinces are investing in digital infrastructure as AI moves rapidly up the agenda. Policymakers are looking beyond the United States for partnerships, while organisations across the country are considering how international collaboration can accelerate progress.
Digital Health Canada is the national member association representing clinicians, policymakers, academics, startups and technology companies. Shelagh Maloney became CEO just over a year ago after a career in Canadian health organisations. The association contributes to policy discussions and provides education and thought leadership.
“The secret sauce is that we are a very diverse group,” says Shelagh. “Our organisation includes clinicians, governments, industry, startups and consultants, bringing together different perspectives and viewpoints.”
The association’s main event is e-Health, which took place this year in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from 14-16 June and included a delegation of UK health leaders led by Healthcare World.
A familiar system
Around 70 per cent of Canadian healthcare spending is publicly funded through taxation, with medically necessary hospital and physician care free at the point of delivery. Unlike the NHS, however, healthcare delivery is not nationally managed.
The federal government sets overarching principles and provides transfer payments. Care is delivered by the provinces and territories, each with its own structures, procurement systems, digital priorities and governance. Some systems are centralised; others devolve decisions to regional health authorities or hospital groups.
“There isn’t one national procurement model,” Shelagh says. “For a vendor looking to work across Canada, you may need to respond to multiple procurement processes across provinces. Even where requirements are very similar, they are still separate systems.” The fragmentation can frustrate suppliers, but it also creates regional partnerships and targeted entry points.
Workforce shortages are a serious concern, while access to primary care is deteriorating in some rural and remote communities. Elective procedures can involve long waits and healthcare often consumes between 35 and 45 per cent of provincial budgets.
Interoperability, connected care, AI deployment, data governance and mental health services are prominent themes. Data sovereignty is also receiving greater attention, particularly in relation to indigenous populations and marginalised communities.
Digital priorities
Digital Health Canada recently launched a national AI evaluation toolkit to help health organisations assess AI initiatives more consistently, reflecting demand for practical governance.
The scale of investment in hospital information systems offers another sign of acceleration. Large jurisdictions are consolidating around Oracle Cerner, MEDITECH and Epic Systems. Alberta became the first province to move province-wide onto Epic several years ago. Quebec and Newfoundland are in the early stages of provincial rollouts, while Oracle is delivering Nova Scotia’s One Patient One Record initiative.
Those systems generate demand for integration, optimisation, AI tools, workflow redesign, training and interoperability. UK companies often have significant experience in these areas.
Innovation is developing unevenly. Toronto remains the largest digital health hub, supported by academic hospitals and research centres, while Waterloo and Hamilton have growing technology and health innovation clusters. Smaller regions can also provide openings. “There are smaller regions in Canada that are really hungry for new partnerships and investment,” says Shelagh.
International connections
Canadian healthcare has historically maintained close commercial ties with the United States, but interest is growing in relationships with Europe and the UK. The NHS is widely respected for its scale and ability to coordinate nationally. “There’s a feeling that the NHS is farther ahead than we are in some specific areas,” Shelagh adds. “As healthcare delivery sits nationally within the NHS structure, there are things Canada looks at with a degree of envy.”
Canadian stakeholders are interested in products and technologies alongside operating models, workforce approaches, digital governance, training and system integration. International companies need practical support to understand the market, identify decision-makers and navigate provincial complexity.
Digital Health Canada sees potential to become a stronger international connector. Its team of around 15 has reach across the sector. “We bring startups together with major industry leaders, while connecting emerging professionals with those already working in – and hiring across – the digital health sector,” says Shelagh. “The conversation doesn’t always need to be around a huge conference or a major programme. Sometimes it’s simply about getting the right people into the room together.”
As Canada looks for partners and new ways to modernise under pressure, its similarities with the NHS may become one of its greatest advantages for UK companies seeking to enter the market.
digitalhealthcanada.com/
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