Rethinking Trust and the Front Door to Healthcare

by Saira Arif

Earlier this month in London, One HealthTech brought together a room full of curious, passionate people at Hale House in the heart of the Harley Street Health District, ready to question some of healthcare’s biggest assumptions which all centred around one deceptively simple question:

“Where does health start… and where does it stop?”

What followed was a rich, layered discussion that challenged traditional models of healthcare, questioned the very foundations of trust in the system and opened up a wider conversation about what people truly need from health services today.

Below is an expanded recap of the core themes that emerged.

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1. The Front Door to Health Has Changed and the System Isn’t Fully Ready

For decades, the NHS has been regarded as the primary “front door” to health. It was the place where health journeys began: a GP appointment, a hospital visit, a referral. But the panel explored how this view is no longer aligned with reality.

People engage with health long before they step into any formal service. Today, the front door is scattered across everyday spaces:

Community pharmacies

These remain one of the most accessible and familiar touchpoints. They’re embedded in daily life somewhere people pass by on their commute, visit spontaneously or rely on during smaller moments of uncertainty. Their strength lies in relationships, consistency and proximity.

Workplaces

Employers increasingly play a role in wellbeing, whether intentionally or simply through daily culture and environment. The idea that health starts at home or in a clinic ignores this growing influence.

Online platforms and social media

The panel highlighted how health conversations have moved into digital spaces, sometimes messy, sometimes misinformed, but incredibly powerful. People turn to these spaces for validation, community, answers or even diagnosis before seeking professional advice.

AI tools and search engines

Whether trusted or not, they’re widely used. They are often the first place someone goes when they’re worried, curious or unable to access immediate help.

The overall message was clear: Health is no longer a straight line leading into the NHS. It’s a web of touchpoints and people navigate it intuitively not according to system design. This shift demands that healthcare evolves to meet people earlier, more naturally and more holistically.

2. The Trust Paradox: People Trust the System Less, But Need It More

One of the most powerful threads from the conversation was the theme of trust, who has it, who doesn’t and why it’s becoming harder to maintain.

The panel reflected on a growing trend: People increasingly trust themselves above any source of external information.

This self-reliance is partly empowering, partly concerning. On one hand, individuals feel more confident in questioning decisions and seeking information. On the other, misinformation and half-truths can thrive in this environment, especially when trusted institutions fail to keep up.

AI and digital information sources were another point of debate. Many service users openly admit they don’t fully trust AI-generated answers yet they use these tools constantly because:

• they’re immediate

• they’re always available

• they don’t require appointments

• they feel non-judgemental

This creates a fascinating contradiction, that people rely on tools they don’t entirely trust, simply because they’re more accessible than the formal system.

Meanwhile, community pharmacies remain one of the few places where trust feels intact. Their strength lies in being physically present, local, familiar and human. They offer continuity in a world that feels increasingly fragmented.

The panel’s overarching insight was that trust can no longer be assumed by healthcare systems simply because they are “official.” It must be rebuilt through empathy, transparency and meeting people where they already seek support.

3. Rethinking Access: Meeting People Earlier and in More Places

Another key theme was the idea that the system needs to stop waiting for people to “enter” it. By the time someone reaches a GP or clinic, they’ve often already:

• searched online

• asked friends

• spoken to community figures

• looked up symptoms

• questioned whether their concerns are valid

• consumed conflicting advice on social media

Much of the health journey has already happened.

The panel highlighted the need for healthcare to expand its “reach” into the real settings where people form their understanding of health. For a lot of the audience discussing afterwards, that looked like:

• better integration with community-led initiatives

• building trusted digital spaces

• involving pharmacists more strategically

• supporting youth and cultural organisations

• embracing preventative, conversational, early engagement

Healthcare systems cannot afford to stay siloed. They must stretch into the fabric of daily life.

4. So… Where Does Health Start and Stop?

The discussion brought everyone back to the central question and it seems that the answer was both simple and profound. To summarise, health doesn’t start or stop. It flows with people through every part of their lives. It’s in their households, their communities, their digital spaces, their workplaces and their relationships. It’s shaped long before a formal appointment and continues long after. To design for modern health is to design with this full picture in mind.

Final Reflection

The One HealthTech panel highlighted a crucial truth:

Healthcare must evolve from a system people “enter” into a system that moves with people wherever they are.

That means rethinking trust, creating empathetic services, widening access points and understanding that the front door to health is now many doors, some physical, some digital, some social and many completely outside the traditional system. The future of health isn’t about bringing everyone into one place. It’s about recognising all the places where health already lives.

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OHT London hosts a series of events at Hale House, in the heart of the Harley Street Health District. We’re hugely grateful to the team there for creating a home for these conversations – a space where difficult questions about the future of health can be asked openly, and where new collaborations can quietly begin.