Last week at the NHS ConfedExpo conference, NHS England CEO Amanda Pritchard gave a speech setting out opportunities and tasks for the NHS – with lots of references to technology.
We have summarised the key points below.
Amanda said that as demand for the NHS continues to grow, we’ll need to do things differently.
And we need to explore big questions like how we make sure we’re consistently using tech to deliver a 21st century service for patients, and for staff.
Amanda said that part of the solution is to use tech and data to make best use of people’s time and put people in the driving seat for their own health and care.
But we’ll also need to put our money where our mouth is, and where our patients are. We know incentives work.
Amanda set out 3 key opportunities which she said we now have:
- a credible Long Term Workforce Plan
- the technology that can support our ambition
- people and partnerships
We now have an app that’s in the pocket of 34 million people, over 75% of the population.
In April, people viewed or changed 7.7 million secondary care appointments, through the app they ordered 3.9 million repeat prescriptions and accessed 1.6 million online consultations, all at the touch of a button.
We’re also modernising systems that support staff. Over 90% of hospitals now have modern electronic patient record systems.
GP practices now have cloud-based telephony systems.
Every hyper acute stroke unit in England now uses artificial intelligence to speed up care.
And now, by rolling out the NHS Federated Data Platform, with 43 Trusts already using it, we have a credible path to being able to connect the hundreds of disparate IT systems over the next few years, putting powerful tools in the hands of clinicians.
And more on the way, like AI-generated discharge summaries being trialled at Chelsea and Westminster and shared elective lists, helping trusts work together to reduce waits.
Amanda said the planning NHSE is doing now to deploy extra funding next year will help us put rocket-boosters under the progress that has been made, getting the basic building blocks right, so that we can take full advantage of the data and AI revolution.
She also set out 3 key tasks:
- management and leadership
- giving people the tools and information they need to improve
- making it easier than ever to innovate
Amanda acknowledged that improvement will only take you so far. She said that sometimes, really taking opportunities, particularly with technology and with data, means doing things totally differently.
Technology-enabled care, already safely helping to avoid thousands of unnecessary hospital visits, and further plans shaping up which could make London the first city in the world to offer a digital-first urgent and emergency care service.
So as NHS England finalise the plans for additional tech investment from April 2025, it will be calling on people to come forward to test how connected systems, AI and automation can not just improve care, but transform it.
Amanda said we are at a tipping point when it comes to tech.
She said we have a unique opportunity to build on what we already have, and truly revolutionise our patient offer, giving the public greater control over their health than ever before, and making it as easy to access support as it is to order your weekly shop.
These are heartening messages for innovators and digital health companies. It often doesn’t feel like we are quite at a tipping point when it comes to tech in the NHS. At the Digital Healthcare Council we hope adequate funding, focus and support will be provided by NHS England to make these messages a reality.