Addressing the Health Service Journal’s Digital Transformation Summit, Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid announced the government will publish its first comprehensive Digital Health Plan for the NHS and social care.
The plan will show how the government will drive digital change across the core areas set out by the Health Secretary in his presentation and many more.
The stated priorities are:
• Making sure the NHS is set up properly for success
• Levelling up across the NHS and social care
• Pursuing personalisation
• Making big breakthrough bets on emerging technologies and data.
Digital transformation, he said, must be led from the top and not delegated. It must also be placed at the heart of the NHS, which is why NHSX and NHS Digital are being merged into NHS England.
He also confirmed an acceleration of the deadline to introduce electronic patient records – of 90% coverage by December 2023, with the remaining 10% to also be in the process of implementing them by then. In social care, a target for 80% of providers to have digital social care records by March 2024 has also been set.
“Because the case for these records is beyond doubt, I expect every health and social care setting to see this as part of their basic responsibilities in looking after those in need,” Mr Javid said.
Protecting against cyberattack remains a key concern, especially given the events of the past few weeks. Four major cyberattacks have been prevented in the latest period, which could have had a catastrophic impact on the front line.
Further development and adoption of the NHS app is planned with a vision to establish platform that allows individuals to communicate directly with their health provider, view test results and documents in one place and access personalised advice to manage their own health.
New technologies to facilitate remote monitoring, and virtual wards will also play a part. Norfolk and Norwich NHS Foundation Trust set up a virtual ward a year ago and it’s already freed-up 6,000 bed days for inpatients with 99% patient satisfaction levels. There is a direction to intensify the pace of the rollout of virtual wards to ensure these services are available across the whole country, with £450m made available to support this over the next two years.
Making the most of emerging technologies references more surgical robots and making it easier for the government, life sciences, academia and industry to come together to work on solutions. Data Saves Lives, is the name of the government’s new data strategy for health and care. Published in draft form last year, the final version will follow in spring.
“I don’t see digital transformation as a flash in the pan, a quick fix at a time of crisis. It is fundamental to the mission to clear the Covid backlog, and to the long-term health and happiness of this country. It matters more now than it did when this pandemic began. Now is not a time to slow down and look in the rear view mirror. It’s a time to accelerate,” Mr Javid concluded.
