A message from our CEO
The Chancellor’s Budget speech last week promised a welcome £3.4 billion of capital investment in the technological and digital transformation of the NHS in England, with the stated objective being to turn the NHS into one of the most digitally-enabled, productive healthcare systems in the world.
The largest proportion of the funding (£2 billion) is designated for technology infrastructure, ensuring that every hospital has firm plans for an electronic patient record by March 2026, upgrading over 100 MRI scanners and more general IT infrastructure improvements. A further £1 billion will transform the NHS’s data infrastructure, going towards back office automation, the creation of an NHS staff passport and accelerating the Federated Data Platform. Finally, the remaining £430 million is intended to broaden and deepen the use of the NHS App, including digitally-enabled prevention and early intervention services and an improved online experience for patients.
Whilst the NHS has a long history of difficult major IT projects, there can be little doubt that investment in these areas is desperately needed. Much has been written recently on the huge amount of clinical time lost to multiple log-ins and the slow running of old computers, and the NHS still uses 10% of the world’s pagers. However, the resources set aside for implementation will be crucial. In a memorable recent talk at the Health Foundation which I attended, Prof Robert Wachter, Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California and former Chair of the 2016 National Advisory Group on Health Information Technology in England, emphasised that technology is not a panacea in itself: its benefits are generally unrealised unless the surrounding workflows are completely reimagined. You can watch the talk here.
We have drawn similar conclusions from our own work supporting the implementation of new medicines and technologies in specific clinical pathways, in particular our major ongoing programmes in cardiovascular disease and children and young people’s mental health. And this is why we value our networks so highly. However strong an innovation is, and however expert the professional support that our teams are able to give, our success in turning great ideas into positive health impact is ultimately dependent on you – our partners and stakeholders in the NHS and elsewhere.
I’ve been fortunate to take part in a number of great events over the last few months showcasing where innovation is being used to overcome some of our greatest health challenges. Cambridge and Peterborough ICB, working closely with its local authority partners, held a summit on obesity and its multifactorial causes, which was particularly timely in view of the recent publicity surrounding the new GLP-1 weight loss medicines. Hertfordshire Community Trust are holding an important event on Big Data and AI to explore potential proactive care models for patients with COPD and heart failure, and it was great to see Dr Saif Ahmad of 52 North Health recognised at the national NHS Clinical Entrepreneurs Big Pitch event last week.
I’m also delighted to highlight two stories you can read more about in this newsletter. The Health Equity Centre is an online resource with evidence-informed solutions for equitable health and care, and I’m looking forward to our forthcoming event on cancer entitled Bridging the Gap: unveiling, advancing and implementing cancer innovation. Details on how to sign up can be found within this newsletter. The event will provide a platform to exchange knowledge, encourage collaboration, and explore innovative solutions to address challenges in cancer treatment, care, and research.
I hope you enjoy this newsletter. Please get in touch through your usual Health Innovation East contact if you would like to follow up on any of the stories featured.
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Piers Ricketts
Chief Executive
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