Improving NHS productivity

Improving NHS productivity is a key national priority. But what’s behind the slowdown and can it be reversed? | The Health Foundation

Over the past few years, amid the turmoil of COVID-19, the NHS has seen substantial growth in funding and clinical staffing levels. Yet the numbers of patients treated haven’t risen in step – suggesting services, particularly NHS acute hospitals, have become less productive. 

This podcast via The Health Foundation explores why activity levels have not been keeping pace with recent increases in NHS funding and staffing, what can be done, and asks if implementing new technologies is a solution worth banking on? 

Full detail: Limp NHS productivity and what to do about it

Getting the best out of the new world of remote and digital general practice

Nuffield Trusts – April 2024

The Remote by Default research collaboration, conducted by a team of academics and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, asks whether remote consultations should really be the default option. This briefing investigates when remote consultations are safe and what they mean for different patient groups trying to get treatment, as well as for doctors and their colleagues. It summarises key findings, and actions required from government and the NHS.

Getting the best out of the new world of remote and digital general practice

Which technologies offer the biggest opportunities to save time in the NHS?

The Health Foundation – April 2024

This long read looks at clinician views on which technologies offer the biggest opportunities to support staff capacity and release time. It sets out challenges and priorities for realising this vision, including actions for key stakeholders such as policy-makers (the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and arm’s length bodies, and their equivalents in the devolved administrations), providers and industry. Given that the change enabled by technology depends on the staff who use it, the long read argues that centring clinical perspectives and insights is crucial to achieving the coalition and leadership for change required to transform NHS care now and in the future.

Further information – Which technologies offer the biggest opportunities to save time in the NHS?

Digital and data strategy for health and social care in Wales

NHS Wales – 27th July 2023

Our system of delivering joined-up health and social care needs further development. Digital transformation is key to successful and improved health and social care outcomes. The refreshed ‘Digital and data strategy for health and social care in Wales‘ builds upon previous successes and sets out future ambitions. User-centred digital services built upon better digital skills, data and platforms are critical.    

The strategy identifies a series of priorities to be delivered through six missions.

• digital skills
• digital economy
• data and collaboration
• digital Infrastructure and connectivity
• user-centred services
• digital inclusion

We will place digital and data at the heart of our plans when developing health and social care services. This strategy reinforces our commitment to supporting citizens to lead longer, happier lives.

Read the Report – ‘Digital and data strategy for health and social care in Wales – Welsh Govt

Digital transformation in the NHS – Report Summary

Health and Social Care Committee – June 2023

Successive Governments have recognised the importance of moving the NHS onto a digital footing. “Digital transformation” encompasses “digitising” services and processes that have traditionally been delivered physically, and greater use of innovative approaches to care that are enabled by advances in technology. Digital transformation is vital for the long-term sustainability of the health service: the Department of Health and Social Care (the Department) and NHS England believe that a shift to digital channels (such as the NHS App) is necessary to delivering priorities such as reducing care backlogs and improving access to primary care. Digital can also deliver improvements in care to patients, ranging from increased convenience to access to cutting-edge treatments and diagnostics.

Read the report – Digital transformation in the NHS – Report Summary

Digital technology in the NHS: reducing staff pressures, improving care

NIHR – June 2023

The NHS is the largest employer in the UK with more than 1.4 million employees. Its workforce is under growing pressure. The population is ageing, increasing demand on healthcare services. The number of staff vacancies are high. The Health Foundation has predicted a shortfall of nearly 1 in 10 (9%) of all NHS workforce posts by 2030 – 2031.

The Department of Health and Social Care has made support for the workforce a key research priority. It is aiming to develop and evaluate technology-assisted workforce solutions both to reduce the burden on staff and to improve patient outcomes. Increased use of technology in healthcare is central to the NHS Long term Plan. 

This Collection highlights examples of recent NIHR research that demonstrate ways in which digital technology can improve care while reducing the demands on staff. The technologies include computer decision aids, remote patient monitoring, online support for patients and staff, and virtual reality in psychological therapies. 

The research shows that these technologies could bring multiple benefits, both to the workforce, and to patients. They could save healthcare professionals’ time, increase the number of people a skilled professional can support, and enable more sustainable workforce models. At the same time, they can promote safer and more personalised care. 

The Collection provides useful information for those commissioning and delivering services, including people working across integrated care systems. It sits alongside 2 other Collections: One collection helps members of the public understand digital health technology, the other, upcoming Collection, will describe promising examples of artificial intelligence, or AI, for healthcare.

Further information – Digital technology in the NHS: reducing staff pressures, improving care

Digital transformation in the NHS

House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee – Ordered by the House of Commons
to be printed 21 June 2023

Successive Governments have recognised the importance of moving the NHS onto a digital footing. “Digital transformation” encompasses “digitising” services and processes that have traditionally been delivered physically, and greater use of innovative approaches to care that are enabled by advances in technology. Digital transformation is vital for the long-term sustainability of the health service: the Department of Health and Social Care (the Department) and NHS England believe that a shift to digital channels (such as the NHS App) is necessary to delivering priorities such as reducing care backlogs and improving access to primary care. Digital can also deliver improvements in care to patients, ranging from increased convenience to access to cutting-edge treatments and diagnostics.
Past attempts at digital transformation have been frustrated by a number of factors. These include the preponderance of old, out-of-date “legacy” IT systems and hardware that cannot handle the demands of a modern digital health service. Parts of the health service still lack even the most basic, functioning IT equipment. The Government recognises that “levelling up” NHS organisations’ digital capacity to a minimum
standard is necessary if digital transformation is to proceed across the board. There is reason to be optimistic about the Government’s approach, but it will need to address the mistakes of past attempts if it is going to succeed. Digital transformation is not just about new technology. Equally important is the role of the workforce, from leaders to clinicians and frontline staff. Attracting enough skilled digital specialists to the healthcare workforce has long been a challenge, as it is across the civil service: digital specialists can often command better remuneration in the private sector. We recommend that the Government allow NHS England to move away from Agenda for Change pay scales when recruiting Data, Digital and Technology (DDaT)
specialists to ensure it can recruit and retain the people that it needs.

Read the Report – Digital transformation in the NHS

One-stop-shop for AI and digital regulations for health and social care launched

NICE – 12th June 2023

A new online advice service to help the NHS and wider care system adopt and make use of new digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has launched today.

The AI and Digital Regulations Service provides guidance for NHS and social care adopters and digital health innovators.
The service offers:

• a website providing centralised, curated and up-to-date regulatory content for both developers and adopters of AI and data-driven technologies; and
• access to specialist support for both developers and adopters from the service partners.

The service is a multi-agency collaboration between the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Care Quality Commission, the Health Research Authority and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and is funded by the NHS AI Lab.

By collating information from all 4 organisations in one place, the site provides comprehensive guidance at each stage of the adoption pathway. The service can also respond to individual enquiries, making connections with relevant services or system partners. 

Further information – One-stop-shop for AI and digital regulations for health and social care launched

Understanding regulations of AI and digital technology in health and social care

eHealth Use on Acute Inpatient Mental Health Units: Implementation Processes, Common Practices, and Barriers to Use

Adm Policy Ment Health  / https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-023-01262-1

…Information technology to promote health (eHealth) is an important and growing area of mental healthcare, yet little is known about the use of patient-facing eHealth in psychiatric inpatient settings. This quality improvement project examined the current practices, barriers, implementation processes, and contextual factors affecting eHealth use across multiple Veteran Health Administration (VHA) acute mental health inpatient units. Staff from units serving both voluntary and involuntary patients (n = 49 from 37 unique sites) completed surveys regarding current, desired, and barriers to use of Veteran-facing eHealth technologies. Two subsets of respondents were then interviewed (high success sites in eHealth use, n = 6; low success sites, n = 4) to better understand the context of their eHealth use. Survey responses indicated that 20% or less of Veterans were using any type of eHealth technology while inpatient. Tablets and video chat were the most desired overall and most successfully used eHealth technologies. However, many sites noted difficulty implementing these technologies (e.g., limited Wi-Fi access). Qualitative analysis of interviews revealed differences in risk/benefit analysis and implementation support between high and low success eHealth sites. Despite desired use, patient-facing eHealth technology is not regularly implemented on inpatient units due to multiple barriers (e.g., limited staffing, infrastructure needs). Successful implementation of patient-facing eHealth may require an internal champion, guidance from external supports with experience in successful eHealth use, workload balance for staff, and an overall perspective shift in the benefits to eHealth technology versus the risks…

Full-text: eHealth Use on Acute Inpatient Mental Health Units: Implementation Processes, Common Practices, and Barriers to Use

Effectively embedding digital in your Trust

NHS Providers – 5th April 2023

The seventh and final guide in our digital leadership series provides advice, insight and key considerations intended to support board members to embed digital ways of working and lead digital transformation within your organisation.

EFFECTIVELY EMBEDDING DIGITAL IN YOUR TRUST