Responding to an announcement that the Health and Social
Care Secretary is to host NHS Recovery Summit to tackle waiting
lists, with a focus on digital innovation and technology,
the director of strategy and policy at NHS Providers, Miriam
Deakin said:
“These new technologies, such as AI and virtual reality headsets,
have the potential to offer major benefits to patients, staff and
healthcare, particularly at a time when waiting lists are at a
record high and the NHS workforce and frontline services are
under huge pressure.
“This will build on the hard work already underway within the
provider sector, with many trusts already implementing electronic
patient records, virtual wards and electronic prescribing.
“But the success of new innovations will depend on sustainable
funding for digital teams, who will be fundamental to enabling
and embedding smarter working across the NHS.
“It will be important too that as new technologies are rolled
out, the needs of patients and their families are put front and
centre to ensure these new services are trusted by everyone.
“It is also vital that the opportunities presented by technology
in the NHS to transform care for patients and improve access to
services is not at the expense of the critical need to invest in
core digital and IT infrastructure across the NHS or in
developing the skills of NHS and care professionals skills,
who will adapt to these new ways of working.”
