With his sights set on bringing “the NHS into the 21st century”, Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social care is pledging £200 million towards improving technology throughout the service.
Mr Hancock’s vision is an NHS with an “eco-system for the best technology available”, the most “cutting-edge system in the world for the use of technology to improve health, make lives easier, and make money go further.”
Digital transformation will make a positive and significant impact on the NHS. Integration amongst departments, systems and Trusts, is core to enabling the infrastructure to support more pioneering technologies.
Reinventing the NHS workplace
Technology can make a real difference to both medical frontline staff, as well as administration and business employees in the NHS. The digital enhancements – from patient data management, to diagnosis equipment – provide the right tools to serve patients faster and better, also removing frustration for staff.
Although the infrastructure to accommodate these changes is “moving in the right direction”, the “technology available outside the NHS is a million times better,” admits Mr Hancock.
Integrated identity and access management will be critical to the success of this digital vision for the NHS. Securely managing staff access, eliminating repetitive administration tasks and enabling mobility will be fundamental for the digital future of the NHS.
BDS Solutions’ Directory Manager syncs data across ESR, NHSmail and Active Directory. To enable collaboration across Trusts and integration of systems, providing data access to a wider pool of people, closely managing joiners, leavers and those moving within the organisation, will be crucial to protect patient data.
Mr Hancock is encouraging healthcare leaders to embrace digital transformation and he is expected to produce a 10-year plan for the NHS later this year. His plan will need to integrate the very foundation of all IT systems; starting with the basics and installing the infrastructure to effectively support new digital advances.
Digital transformation
Technology in the NHS has been underfunded for decades and the NHS is significantly behind private organisations. It also faces unique challenges, due to the scale of its services and large workforce.
Mr Hancock’s intention is to create additional Global Digital Exemplars (GDEs), across various Trusts, including the first community trust GDE. He also has announced the creation of a HealthTech Advisory Board chaired by Ben Goldacre.
There is some way to go to realise Matt Hancock’s vision, but the direction is good and must be accomplished to meet the nation’s current and future healthcare needs.