Bridgehead Communications launches UK’s first CareTech Index to chart innovation in social care technology

Bridgehead Communications, the UK’s leading PR and communications agency for the adult social care sector, has launched the country’s first CareTech Index — a comprehensive industry tracker mapping the companies driving digital transformation across the care sector.

The Bridgehead CareTech Index identifies and categorises more than 100 technology providers operating in and around the social care ecosystem — from electronic care-planning and compliance software to workforce management, recruitment, digital monitoring, and family-communication platforms.

The Index highlights how technology is reshaping every aspect of care delivery — from the way providers assess risk and manage medication to how they recruit, retain, and communicate with staff and families. It aims to become the go-to resource for operators, investors, and policymakers seeking to understand how digital innovation is transforming the UK’s £18bn social care sector.

Mapping a fast-moving landscape

Bridgehead Communications’ Managing Director, William Walter, said:

“Technology has become central to how care is delivered, managed, and experienced — but the market remains fragmented and hard to navigate.
The CareTech Index provides the first structured attempt to map the ecosystem, spotlight innovation, and benchmark the businesses driving progress across the sector.”

He added that while technology in care has historically lagged behind the NHS, the last five years have seen “a wave of purpose-driven innovation” that is now beginning to reshape the fundamentals of the sector — from data collection and analytics to workforce efficiency and family transparency.

The Index has been developed through Bridgehead’s CareTech practice, which works with care operators, technology companies, and investors to build brand awareness, shape policy conversations, and support adoption of digital tools within care.

A growing field of innovators

The CareTech Index lists and profiles leading software and platform providers including Birdie, CarePlanner, Person Centred Software, Nourish Care, Log my Care, CareDocs, CoolCare, and Radar Healthcare, alongside emerging innovators such as Careberry, Autumna, VeeCare, and PainChek.

Each company is categorised by its primary function — such as:

• Care and Nursing Home Management (Clinical & Non-Clinical) – including CareDocs, Ablyss Systems, and CareBeans, which support daily care recording, planning, and analysis.

• Home Care & Supported Living Platforms – including Birdie, CarePlanner, and Careberry, which streamline domiciliary care operations and improve quality assurance.

• Workforce Management & HR Tech – including CoolCare, RotaCloud, and Deputy, helping providers tackle staffing shortages and optimise scheduling.

• Digital Compliance & Governance – including Radar Healthcare and QCS, offering data-driven compliance, auditing, and quality frameworks.

• Resident & Family Engagement – including Relish, Alcove, and RemindMeCare, helping to bridge the communication gap between families, carers, and residents.

Bridgehead’s analysts note that while many providers remain small and founder-led, the sector is maturing rapidly, with private-equity investment and consolidation increasing. The Index therefore also tracks acquisition trends, partnerships, and new product launches — providing a live snapshot of the industry’s evolution.

Investment and integration challenges

The Index also highlights several systemic challenges facing the CareTech sector. Despite government ambitions to digitise all care records by 2028, adoption remains uneven, particularly among smaller providers and local authorities. Barriers include cost, connectivity, integration, and workforce digital literacy.

Walter added:

“We found that while most providers now use some form of digital care planning, few have achieved true integration across systems. The next phase of innovation will focus on interoperability — connecting care management, HR, finance, and compliance data so providers can make better, faster decisions.”

Bridging care and technology

Bridgehead Communications’ launch of the CareTech Index builds on the agency’s wider work championing innovation in the sector. The firm has advised and represented leading care operators such as Berkley Care Group, and Hilton Nursing Partners, alongside technology providers and investors exploring the intersection between care delivery and digital transformation.

The Index is designed not only as a directory but as a strategic insight tool — tracking the trends shaping the future of social care. Future updates will include sector sentiment data, investment flows, and rankings based on innovation, market penetration, and reputation.

“Our aim is to shine a light on the technology transforming the lives of care workers and residents alike,” Walter said. “Good technology doesn’t replace compassion — it empowers it. The best systems free carers to do what matters most: provide human connection and high-quality care.”

Policy context and future outlook

The launch comes amid growing recognition of the need for technology to ease systemic pressures on the social care system — including chronic workforce shortages, rising costs, and increasing regulatory demands.

Bridgehead’s analysis shows that digital adoption can cut administrative time by up to 35%, reduce medication errors by as much as 40%, and improve recruitment and retention by giving staff more flexibility and autonomy.

At a policy level, the Department of Health and Social Care’s Digitising Social Care programme continues to fund innovation pilots across England, while local authorities and Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are investing in data-driven commissioning and predictive analytics.

Walter said the CareTech Index would serve as a “bridge between innovators and implementers”:

“The CareTech Index is designed to help providers, investors, and policymakers find each other — and to encourage more collaboration between the people building technology and the people delivering care.”

About Bridgehead Communications

Founded in Guernsey and London, Bridgehead Communications is a specialist PR and communications agency working across social care, technology, and corporate sectors. The firm is known for its Care Crisis PR & Communications service and its Audience–Awareness–Credibility (AAC) framework, helping organisations build reputation, shape public debate, and manage risk.

The Bridgehead CareTech Index is publicly available via the agency’s website and will be updated regularly.