Building a more joined-up healthcare experience for Bupa Global customers
We know that healthcare can sometimes feel fragmented when people need it most. Symptoms appear, questions follow, and the path from first concern to diagnosis or treatment can involve multiple steps, delays and uncertainty. This can create additional pressures at an already difficult time.
Connected Care is Bupa’s response to this challenge. In 2025 in the UK, our focus on building more coordinated care has driven a 74% increase in Bupa-owned pathways, helping us connect digital access, clinical expertise and treatment pathways more effectively. The result is a clearer, faster experience for members, and a more efficient use of healthcare resources for clients.
The success of the Connected Care strategy in the UK has shown what’s possible when care is designed this way. It provides a clear foundation for how Bupa Global is shaping the future of healthcare for our globally mobile customers.
What is Connected Care?
Connected Care is Bupa’s approach to delivering a more coordinated healthcare experience, from first contact through to diagnosis, treatment and ongoing support. Rather than customers managing appointments, authorisations and providers across separate parts of the system, Connected Care brings these elements closer together. Digital access supports early assessment, clinical teams help direct people to the most appropriate care, and treatment pathways are designed to reduce delays and unnecessary steps.
Why Connected Care matters
Connected Care makes the healthcare experience clearer and easier to navigate. For customers, this means greater reassurance and more clarity on their treatment journey. For clients, it provides added confidence that their people are supported through a well-coordinated approach to care.
- Reduces overtreatment and enhances value
- Improves access to the right care, at the right time
- Strengthens quality and clinical standards
Dermatology
Faster reassurance for skin concerns
Connected Care enables fast assessment and triage of moles, skin lesions, and general skin conditions from home, with access available through Blua. Many cases can be resolved remotely, providing quick reassurance when no further action is needed, while reserving face-to-face dermatologist time for more complex cases.
- 61% reassured with no further investigation or treatment needed
- 13x faster remote assessment compared with other pathways
- 81 NPS world-class customer experience
Data from Connected Care, Bupa UK & Bupa Global
Cardiology
Faster clarity for heart-related concerns
Heart-related symptoms such as chest pain or palpitations can be worrying, particularly when it’s not clear what they mean. Connected Care supports faster assessment and diagnosis, helping people get clarity and any treatment they might need as soon as possible. Through remote triage and access to specialist cardiologists, customers are guided to the most appropriate next step, without unnecessary delays.
- 40% less likely to have an intervention due to reduced overtreatment
- 10x faster access to care compared to our previous pathway
Data from Connected Care, Bupa UK & Bupa Global
Cancer
A blueprint for faster, specialist-led cancer care
When you are referred with possible cancer symptoms, speed and decisiveness matter. Connected Care shows how a coordinated, specialist-led approach can support faster access to diagnosis, whether that means reassurance or onward treatment.
In the UK, this model is delivered through clearly defined pathways that reduce waiting, remove unnecessary steps and support prompt treatment where needed. We also now have Cancer Specialist Centres in the UK for breast, bowel, gastroenterology, prostate and gynaecological symptoms.
Learning from experience in the UK
The Bupa UK example is helping inform how Connected Care can shape cancer pathways across global markets, adapting to local healthcare systems while maintaining clear standards for care quality and customer experience.
- 13x faster access to care compared to other pathways
- Highest quality and experience standards for cancer diagnosis and treatment
Data from Connected Care, Bupa UK & Bupa Global
The future of Connected Care
Connected Care has established a strong foundation in the UK, and we are now focused on how this experience can inform the next phase of Bupa Global’s strategy. The priority for 2026 is continued progress in improving our customer experience and health outcomes, supported by clearer, more coordinated care pathways.
Looking ahead, our ambition is to develop Connected Care pathways in key regions around the world, shaped by local healthcare systems and customer needs. The UK experience, particularly in areas such as cancer, provides valuable insight into what is possible when care is more connected across our global markets.
As Connected Care and Blua continue to evolve, they will play an important role in supporting innovation across Bupa Global, helping customers access the right care when they need it and giving clients greater confidence in how their healthcare is delivered over time.
If you’d like to learn more about Connected Care, please speak to your usual Bupa representative.
Please note: The above information and performance data have been taken from participating hospitals and facilities that offer Connected Care services in the UK. The data has been compiled from patients using Bupa UK insurance products and international products administered by Bupa Global.