At the Digital Healthcare Council we are committed to helping the Government to deliver on its promises to build an NHS fit for the future. To shift from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, from sickness to prevention.

Now more than ever it feels important to show that a moderate party occupying the centre ground can deliver.

So here is my take on recent health policy and news, one story a cause for optimism and the other a clear articulation of the opportunity in front of is.

Cause for optimism

The Government, rather quietly, announced a potentially game-changing partnership in genomics that could significantly improve the UK’s response to future pandemics.

It promises a ‘world-first’ early warning system, better research and improved testing for patients.

The tie-up with Oxford Nanopore brings together the Government, Genomics England, UK Biobank and NHS England.

It’s a fascinating and impressive example of central Government leaning in and on a specialist sector for the potential benefit of services, patients and the wider economy.

Something we are pushing hard for in digital health and care.

You can read more here.

And now the opportunity

This piece in the Financial Times slipped by largely uncommented at the time of publication in October.

Perhaps that was because we understand the problem it illustrates all too well. And it is not new.

It describes many, varied and productivity draining examples of poor use of technology and how it impacts staff and patients at just one London hospital.

You can read the story here.

As Lord Darzi said in his recent report the last decade was a missed opportunity to prepare the NHS for the future and to embrace the technologies that would enable a shift in the model from ‘diagnose and treat’ to ‘predict and prevent’.

We need to course correct now.

Perhaps the progress in life sciences indicates that fresh thinking might finally reach the NHS and social care sectors too?