The Government’s ambition for digital transformation in the NHS
can only succeed if Ministers address mistakes of the past, warns
a new report from the Health and Social Care Committee. MPs find
reason for optimism in the Government’s approach however the
report cites evidence that parts of the health service still lack
even the most basic, functioning IT equipment. Previous attempts
at digital transformation have been thwarted by out-of-date
“legacy” IT systems and hardware unable to handle the demands of
a modern digital health service.
MPs conclude that a shortage of skilled digital
professionals in the NHS presents a barrier to digital
transformation, with specialists able to command higher wages or
better conditions in the private sector. The report recommends
allowing additional pay and bonuses to recruit specialist
staff.
Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee said:
“We find reason for optimism in the government’s approach to the
digital transformation of the NHS. We know that the NHS app was
hugely successful during the pandemic and the government has big
plans for it to do more to bring real benefits to patients.
“However, there are major challenges to overcome. On a visit to
the US, we saw digital patient records being used seamlessly in
hospitals. Here, it can take more than 15 minutes for a clinician
to turn on a PC because kit is outdated. The lack of skilled
digital professionals is a further barrier. Until the NHS can
offer higher salaries to compete with the private sector, it
won’t be able to attract the people to deliver the transformation
that’s needed to run a modern health service.
“The long-term sustainability of the health service depends on
getting this right but there will be people who decide that
digital services are not for them, and we are clear that they
should not find themselves excluded by future developments.”
ENDS
The inquiry into Digital
transformation in the NHS was launched in May 2022.
Key recommendations to Government:
- NHS England should be allowed to move away from Agenda for
Change pay scales in recruitment of Data, Digital and Technology
specialists.
- Department needs to clearly set out the benefits of using
technology (including the NHS App) and address risks and patient
concerns.
-
Department and NHS England should set
out a timetable for introducing the new “native” NHS App, and a
plan for communicating the benefits and features offered to
users of the current “portal” version.
-
Department and NHS England must ensure that
non-digital channels remain available as it develops and
implements its digital offer.
- Department and NHS England need to ensure that the wider
workforce, including clinicians and frontline staff, has the
time, headspace and training to allow them to fully engage with
digital transformation.
Please see attached Report for a full list of
conclusions and recommendations
Challenges to address:
The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England support
a shift to digital channels, including the NHS App, to achieve
key targets on reducing care backlogs and improving access to
primary care, as well as giving patients access to cutting-edge
treatments and diagnostics. However, over the last 20 years
successive governments have attempted digital
transformation of the NHS with slow and uneven progress leading
to substantial variation between organisations. MPs conclude that
the Government’s clear intentions and funding give this attempt
the potential to succeed if it can respond to the
challenges.
NHS App:
The Report raises concerns about future plans to enable
third-party apps to be integrated with the NHS App. MPs
found that the lack of systematic and consistent assessments of
necessary quality standards of third-party apps was unacceptable,
with evidence of a majority failing on clinical efficacy,
security and cost, and the risk that patients could lose
confidence in them.
Outdated tech:
MPs heard that many NHS organisations continued to use old,
poor-quality PCs and laptops running a multitude of different
programmes and operating systems. In one example it could take
more than 15 minutes to turn on a PC before staff could begin to
log in to their clinical system. In some cases, equipment was so
outdated that it was unable to support the software and hardware
needed for modern digital health services.
Lack of access to patient data:
Evidence of a lack of digital connectivity in the NHS meant that
patient data often sits in silos with clinicians from different
parts of the health service unable to view it. This leads to a
lack of joined-up care which can be frustrating or even dangerous
for patients. MPs were told that poor communication between and
within different systems means that patients “sometimes receive
suboptimal care”. A continued reliance on paper and simple
electronic forms meant that a “significant portion of the health
service does not have access to data needed to manage patient
treatment pathways”.
Digital exclusion:
The Report warns of a risk in pursuing digital transformation for
those unable or unwilling to use digital services with some
finding themselves excluded from services. Figures from Age UK
showed that a third of people over 65 do not use smartphones. The
Report says people should not find themselves unable
to access the NHS because of wider challenges around access to
technology, connectivity and digital skills.
