Categories: Industry insight

The politics of health technology does not put people first

The UK general election approaches, and the NHS is centre stage in the political debate. It will be interesting to see how far health technology features in The King’s Fund live online debate with health leaders on the 21st April. If the excellent questions asked by Government Computing on healthcare and technology aimed at the Conservative and Labour parties are anything to go by, technology will not actually feature that much.

Perhaps that is for the good; technology needs to become invisible, to become part of everyday life. However for the NHS and health technology, absence does not make the heart grow fonder. Clinicians still argue over the relative merits of health apps and wearables when they are an intrinsic part of everyday life, and the overall market is forecast to grow to $32 billion in four years.

Maybe this huge effort of swimming against the tide plays a part in many GPs’ plans to retire by 2020. Maybe it’s holding on to the medical model of care, which classifies people as conditions to be cured and solved. The social model of care sees people as people, and seeks to accommodate their needs. Based around thinking on disability, the Social Care Institute for Excellence has a brief tutorial.

Bigger hospitals and community care will not make a sustainable health service. We need to remember that patients are people who may need to use a range of services at some point in their lives. Technology can help them to do that. But it means building services around people’s needs, working with others in a way not seen before. Clinical expertise should be as accessible as advice on housing and employment advice. New models of care should put doctors in a supermarket, and not appoint yet more chief executives.

Perhaps the lack of talk on health technology in political circles is symptomatic of a self-serving and not self-service health system. You do not have to look too far to see which is most sustainable.

Rob Benson

Rob has worked in marketing and digital roles for over 15 years, in a career spanning the NHS, academia and the private sector. With a passion for creative ideas and their practical application, Rob is committed to delivering excellence for his clients through a full understanding of their needs and aspirations. He has worked across technical and communication roles with organisations including BT and the Department of Health, and has run his own marketing consultancy business. His healthcare experience covers web and knowledge management for a primary care trust and commissioning support unit, and includes digital consultancy for the national end of life care workstream. In addition, his other core skills include marketing and communications, business planning, copywriting, training, social media, and market research. “Healthcare depends on excellent intelligence and effective communication. Great ideas and sensible advice can get lost if they are not presented in the right way, and are reaching the right people. “This is where marketing concepts and practices can help. Shaping services to meet people’s needs and aspirations is core to both healthcare and marketing professions. Bringing the two together can have a positive impact on everyone’s experience, and it is a privilege to work with colleagues and clients who deliver this in a dynamic and exciting field.” A little bit about Rob: Yorkshire born Rob combines a love of rugby, cricket and golf with an active interest in real ale and TV detective shows. Currently living in Birmingham, Rob is a father, stepfather and grandfather, and spends most of the year saving up for birthdays and Christmas. Other interests including reading, walking, art and travel.

Share
Published by
Rob Benson

Recent Posts

October Budget 2024: Welcome funding, clarity and detail needed

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her first Budget this week, with headline increases in tax, borrowing,…

4 days ago

Health tech leaders respond to the Budget

Health and med tech industry leaders are assessing the implications of a £22.6 billion uplift…

4 days ago

What did we learn at Healthcare Excellence Through Technology?

HETT took place at ExCeL London as the Labour Party met in Liverpool. Both events…

1 month ago

The biggest NHS opportunities for health tech: NIHR insights

Technology adoption in the NHS can be challenging, but there are significant opportunities. Vee Mapunde,…

1 month ago

The Darzi review: the NHS “is in serious trouble” but what comes next?

Lyn Whitfield, content director at Highland Marketing, takes a look at Lord Darzi’s review of…

2 months ago

Two days at Healthcare Excellence Through Technology

It’s 24 September and HETT is about to open at ExCeL London. What can you…

2 months ago