NHSX has published new guidelines with instructions on how NHS trusts can make better use of digital technology in delivering care.
The What Good Looks Like framework urges them to enable patients to digitally access their care plans and test results and to make more use of remote monitoring and consultation and electronic prescribing systems.
NHSX – the digital policy unit for England’s NHS within the Department for Health and Social Care – said the publication is a step in continuing to digitise services and build on the progress made during the pandemic.
It plans to follow up with the publication of an assessment process later this year to support NHS services in identifying gaps and prioritising areas for investment.
Sonia Patel (pictured), chief information officer at NHSX, said: “Talking to leaders across the NHS, there is a renewed belief and confidence in the digital and data agenda and increasing awareness of the importance it holds in supporting a modern NHS.
“I hope these resources are both empowering and enabling in terms of understanding the destination we commonly want to reach across the nation with digital transformation.”
The framework emphasises what good looks like for integrated care systems (ICSs) and organisations. This comes with outlines for a series of success measures for each on good leadership, ensuring smart foundations, safe practice, supporting people, empowering citizens, improving care and healthy populations.
Among the key features are to: promote the use of systems and tools for staff to work remotely where appropriate; extend the use and scope of electronic care record systems, ensuring links to diagnostic systems and electronic prescribing and medicines administration; ensure digital and data strategies drive ‘levelling up’ across the ICS and are underpinned by sustainable financial plans; ensure progress towards net zero carbon; and ensure all projects are in line with the Technology Code of Practice and are cyber secure by design.
Immense value
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured) said: "Over the past 18 months we have all appreciated the immense value of technology.
“This is particularly true for the NHS with digital technologies freeing up hospital beds and allowing clinicians to continue seeing patients remotely – and it will be invaluable in meeting other health challenges in the long term.
"This new guidance from NHSX provides a clear direction to all NHS trusts on how to drive digital transformation forward and transform organisations, which will improve patient care and save lives."
NHSX also said it is planning to bring together the existing funding pots into one national application process, aimed at making it easier for organisations to bid and for central bodies to ensure the funding is allocated fairly. This derives from uncertainty over what is funded nationally and by which pots of money, a lack of visibility by systems of future national funding opportunities, a misalignment of local and national priorities, burdensome and duplicative bidding processes, a wrong mix of capital and revenue to support tech spending and allocations focused on providers rather than ICSs.
Funding, metrics and tools
It published a set of proposals titled Who Pays for What that says that over the next year it will consolidate the different funds, improve the metrics for benchmarking – beginning with data collection for the Model Health System tool – provide tools and case studies for ICSs and review national policies.
This will be followed over 2022-23 by funding for ICSs for purposes such as the development of digital applications, cloud services and data centres, cyber security and IT programme and service management; accompanied by funding for national infrastructure and initiatives along with pilots linked to commitments of the NHS Long Term Plan.
There will also be changes in financial and payments policies to ensure compliance with standards on interoperability and cyber security, to encourage the take-up of established technologies and promote innovation and the adoption of emerging technologies.
Image from nhs.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0
