NHS Pledges Major Investments in Digital Health Advancement

The United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS; London) has announced that it is committing GBP 4.2 billion to a variety of digital health initiatives.

The new investments, announce by UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, are slated to include GBP 1.8 billion to create a paper-free NHS, another GBP 1 billion on cyber security and privacy, GBP 750 million on updating remote care, and GBP 400 million to digitize the NHS and build a new website, develop and integrate mobile apps, and promote telehealth. Patients will thus be able to book services and order prescriptions online and use digital tools to speak to their doctor online or via video-link. To facilitate the process, the UK Government is planning to roll out free Wi-Fi in all NHS buildings, and is developing a new “click and collect” service for prescriptions.

At culmination, all NHS patients will have access to their own electronic health record (EHR), which will be shared between professionals to prevent patients from having to repeat their medical history, and will also give them the opportunity to upload and send real-time data on long-term conditions such as blood pressure. By 2020, the NHS hoped that 25% of all patients with long term conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancer will be able to monitor their health remotely. A further GBP 250 million will be designated for data outcomes research.

The new initiative is part of an ongoing process by the NHS to save GBP 22 billion by trimming waste and improving productivity. As part of the process, an ongoing review of the NHS information technology (IT) systems is underway, in an effort to create a paper-free healthcare system by 2020. Other goals of the process include remote, at-home management of one-quarter of UK patients with chronic and long-term conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancer, and at that least 10% of patients being able to access physician services online and via medical apps by March 2017.

“The NHS has the opportunity to become a world leader in introducing new technology, which means better patient outcomes and a revolution in healthcare at home,” said health minister Hunt. “On the back of a strong economy, and because of our belief in the NHS and its values, we are investing more than GBP four billion across the health system to ease pressure on the frontline and create stronger partnerships between doctor and patients.”

“The NHS is one of the world's largest health and healthcare systems, and one of its largest employers. It's essential that information technology across the NHS works well and can perform the tasks needed to deliver high quality, safe, and efficient care,” said IT expert Prof. Bob Wachter, PhD, who is conducting a review of computer systems across the NHS as part of the initiative. “I am looking forward to finding out about some of the great work taking place across the NHS and highlighting areas for improvement.”

Related Links:
United Kingdom National Health Service