737-304-6185Why HealthTech SaaS Teams Fail NHS DSPT Audits (And How to Fix It)
Most HealthTech SaaS teams don’t fail NHS DSPT audits because their platforms are insecure.
They fail because they can’t prove security in a way NHS reviewers expect.
This distinction matters. DSPT isn’t a penetration test. It isn’t a feature checklist. It’s an evidence exercise. And many capable, well-run SaaS teams fall down not on what they’ve built — but on how clearly they can show control.
This article breaks down the real reasons DSPT submissions fail, why “we already have this” isn’t enough, and what successful teams do differently.
DSPT Is About Proof, Not Intent
DSPT asks a simple question:
Can you demonstrate that patient and operational data is protected in a consistent, reviewable way?
What catches teams out is that:
- Verbal explanations don’t count
- Screenshots without context raise questions
- Policies without evidence are ignored
Auditors want to see repeatable control, not one-off setups.
A monitoring dashboard that looks impressive but has no record of review? Weak evidence.
Logs that exist but have unclear retention? Weak evidence.
Access controls that “make sense” but aren’t documented? Weak evidence.
The Five Most Common DSPT Failure Patterns
After reviewing dozens of NHS-facing platforms, the same patterns appear again and again.
1. Monitoring Exists — But Isn’t Reviewed
Teams often have:
- Cloud alerts
- Uptime monitoring
- Security tooling
What’s missing is proof of review.
DSPT reviewers want to see:
- Who looks at alerts
- How often
- What happens when something triggers
If monitoring fires but no one can show a review trail, it may as well not exist.
2. Logs Are Scattered Across Tools
Logs live in:
- Cloud providers
- Third-party platforms
- Individual services
But DSPT expects:
- Centralised visibility
- Defined retention
- Clear ownership
When logs are fragmented, evidence becomes slow and inconsistent — exactly what reviewers don’t want.
3. Access Control Can’t Be Explained Simply
“Only the right people have access” isn’t enough.
Auditors expect:
- Clear role definitions
- Separation between environments
- Evidence of access review
If access decisions live only in engineers’ heads, that’s a red flag.
4. Incident Response Exists Only on Paper
Many teams have an incident policy.
Few can show:
- Evidence of past incidents
- How alerts were handled
- How learnings were applied
DSPT doesn’t require perfection — but it does require honesty and traceability.
5. Evidence Is Collected Too Late
The biggest mistake of all: waiting until audit time.
When evidence is gathered in a rush:
- Context is lost
- Gaps are exposed
- Reviewers ask more questions
Strong DSPT submissions are calm, boring, and well-prepared.
Why “We Passed Last Year” Is Dangerous
DSPT is annual. Platforms evolve. Teams change. Tooling shifts.
Passing once doesn’t guarantee future success — especially as NHS scrutiny increases.
Teams that struggle most are those that:
- Passed narrowly last year
- Didn’t fix root causes
- Treated DSPT as a tick-box exercise
The next review is always stricter.
What Successful Teams Do Differently
Teams that pass DSPT smoothly don’t do more security.
They do clearer security.
They:
- Map cloud controls directly to DSPT assertions
- Centralise logs and monitoring
- Keep evidence updated year-round
- Reduce reliance on screenshots
- Build compliance into architecture, not admin
DSPT becomes procedural, not stressful.
The Real Fix: Compliance-First Architecture
The solution isn’t more tools.
It’s:
- Fewer tools, used consistently
- Clear ownership
- Evidence generated as a by-product of normal operations
When compliance is baked into architecture, DSPT stops being a scramble and starts being predictable.
Final Thought
If your DSPT preparation feels stressful, that’s a signal — not a failure.
Most HealthTech SaaS teams are closer than they think. They just need to align what exists with how auditors assess control.
That alignment is what turns DSPT from a blocker into a formality.