The government needs to address previous failures in its digital transformation plans for the health service, including a failure to address variation in digital maturity, involve frontline staff in changes and tackle digital exclusion, a parliamentary committee has said in a report released today. The House of Commons’ Health and Social Care Committee’s report Digital transformation in the NHS highlights five major areas where it says the government needs to act: levelling the digital playing field for different regions and trusts; involving and engaging staff; improving digital skills and salaries for recruiting technology talent; focusing on digital exclusion within the population; and overhauling the NHS App. Friday’s report follows an evaluation by an independent expert panel in February that was deeply critical of the government’s progress in digitalising the NHS, accusing it of “inadequate funding” and a catalogue of “opportunities missed”. Although the Health and Social Care Committee report emphasised that past efforts to move the NHS onto a more technologically sustainable foundation had been disappointing, the committee suggested the current government was aware of the necessity of overcoming existing obstacles and that there were reasons for optimism this time around. “Successive governments have attempted digital transformation of the […]
Click here to view original web page at www.digitalhealth.net
