The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has outlined three priority areas for spending under the Adult Social Care Digital Transformation Fund.
Its deputy director for care technology policy, Alice Ainsworth, said in a blogpost that it is supporting the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in helping providers make decisions about their spending on technology solutions, and with local integrated care systems to manage applications to the fund.
The latter will focus on the three priorities: care quality and safety, including safe discharge from hospital; avoidable admissions and readmissions to hospital; and support for people to live independently.
“In our work to support the digital transformation of the adult social care sector we want to make sure we keep the focus on the difference technology can make to people’s lives and how care is delivered,” Ainsworth said.
She added: “The funding will support providers to test and adopt care technologies that address local priorities, by providing implementation and evaluation support to develop an evidence base to prioritise which technologies have proven benefits for the sector.”
Digitisation workstreams
At UKAuthority’s recent Integrating Digital Health and Care conference, Ainsworth outlined the thrust of the DHSC Digitising Social Care programme, highlighting three main workstreams: to drive the adoption of digital social care records; to test, evaluate and scale technologies, building the evidence base for future investment; and supporting care providers in putting their digital foundations in place.
She acknowledged that the social care sector has some catching up to do, and that it needs a strong evidence base to ensure specific solutions can be used widely, along with removing barriers to scale up best practice.
The department has provided backing for each of England’s ICSs to work with care providers on this, and while there is a mixed picture on progress it is being made. It has also been working on the assurance of technology suppliers against a set of common standards and best practice, and aims to expand these over time.
In April DHSC said it will make £100 million available to accelerate the digitisation of social care in England.
