Towards the end of 2023 the Health Service Journal reported on the re-allocation of digital transformation funding to cover funding shortfalls.
Download the full document to find out how.
This is not the first time we have seen digital transformation pots seen as dispensable projects that can be deprioritised when budgets are under pressure.
This reluctance to properly ringfence funding for the digital transformation of the health and care system must end if the UK is to properly realise the wide-ranging benefits that digital, data, and technology can bring to the NHS and social care services. The lack of funding not only jeopardises the ability of healthcare providers to adequately support their patients but exacerbates the burden on the system, fuelling ongoing labour disputes. The UK Government must continue to prioritise funding to support the digital transformation of the NHS and social care at previously committed levels. On top of this, the digital health market is a vital contributor to the UK economy, estimated to be worth £23.98bn by 2025, and changes to previously announced funding create significant uncertainty in the market that reverberates throughout the economy and degrades the UK's international standing.
To help make the case for continued investment in digital transformation, techUK has collaborated with members to demonstrate the benefits of digital, data, and technology in helping NHS England (as well as care providers), meet the priorities set out in the NHS mandate 2023:
- Cut NHS waiting lists and recover performance
- Support the workforce through training, retention and modernisation
- Deliver recovery through data and technology
From back-office transformation through to cutting-edge AI, these technologies can deliver significant value and positive outcomes, such as:
- freeing up bed space
- reducing triage time
- boosting productivity
- moving care into the community
- improving patient outcomes and experience
- freeing up time to care
- reducing unnecessary appointments.
Above all, these technologies can help support patients, the health and care workforce, and improve the health of UK citizens.
Download the full document to find out how.