Meet the DHC: Q&A with Catherine Davies

Following Catherine’s appointment as the new director of the Digital Healthcare Council, we asked her some questions about her background, her goals for the DHC and what the current challenges and opportunities for Digital Health are. You can follow Catherine on twitter here: @c_davies1 And listen to her podcast, the Women in HealthTech Show here.… Read More Meet the DHC: Q&A with Catherine Davies

DHC responds to General Pharmaceutical Council safety alert

Catherine Davies, director of the Digital Healthcare Council said: “For patients who require non-urgent support and private prescriptions, online pharmacies, such as DHC members Dr Fox, play a useful part in reducing pressures on primary care. It’s important for the NHS to not scare patients away from online pharmacies, but to encourage them towards a… Read More DHC responds to General Pharmaceutical Council safety alert

How digital can support the NHS’s winter plan

The NHS has published their next steps to free up capacity and boost resilience of services ahead of winter. The plan focuses on virtual wards and remote monitoring as key to reducing hospital occupancy, promoting timely discharge, and providing better support for people at home.  However, a reliance on virtual wards and remote monitoring to address… Read More How digital can support the NHS’s winter plan

Catherine Davies appointed as new DHC director

The Digital Healthcare Council (DHC) today announces that Catherine Davies has been appointed as Director. Catherine replaces Graham Kendall, who has served as Director of the DHC since 2019. Catherine has held senior regulatory positions in the health sector in England for almost a decade, including serving as Executive Director of Cooperation and Competition at… Read More Catherine Davies appointed as new DHC director

Taking a look at NHS England waiting list figures

With each month’s elective waiting list data, we have come to expect new record waiting numbers with depressing regularity. This week’s figures continue that trend with the total waiting list growing to 6.4 million. There are some positive signs on activity, but this masks a growing challenge with admissions. Our director Graham Kendall has written for Digital… Read More Taking a look at NHS England waiting list figures

GP burnout – is tech to blame for mounting workloads?

Commenting in Andrea Downey’s article in Digital Health News, DHC director Graham Kendall explained how technology has an important part to play reducing GP burnout and managing patient demand, giving examples of how DHC members have been supporting clinicians to tackle the pressures of Covid. “With a record-level waiting list of 5.4 million and an… Read More GP burnout – is tech to blame for mounting workloads?

Open competition secures the best services for patients

Over the past couple of months, DHC members have been raising concerns about possible plans for NHS England to extend their contract with AccuRx without open competition. DHC Director, Graham Kendall, spoke with Andrea Downey at Digital Health News about their concerns. “The DHSC, NHS England, NHSX, NHS Digital and the Cabinet Office have all… Read More Open competition secures the best services for patients

Give Trusts choice

Commenting further to a recent article in Digital Health News about difficulties with the remote monitoring frames, DHC Director, Graham Kendall said: “In an ideal world we would all avoid errors, but it’s vital to correct them when they are arise so I would pay credit to CCS for being responsive and taking prompt action… Read More Give Trusts choice

Lessons from Covid

Writing in Digital Health News, DHC Director, Graham Kendall, outlines what’s worked, and what needs to change, identifying five key lessons: Focus on integrating solutions Support and empower local users to choose solutions that work for them. Avoid spending money twice – if a local service wants, and is willing to pay for, a more… Read More Lessons from Covid

Use remote consultation drive to ask what’s the best way to respond to each patient, every time

Commenting in Digital Health News about the Government’s drive for GP consultations to take place remotely “unless there’s a compelling reason not to”, DHC Director says this should be about “asking what’s the best way to respond to each patient, for every encounter”. “In many circumstances, the best option for both the GP and the… Read More Use remote consultation drive to ask what’s the best way to respond to each patient, every time