Healthcare
Roundup
 
12 May 2023
 
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Seven days in the NHS and health IT
Primary care
Government publishes primary care recovery plan
The Department of Health and Social Care has published a recovery plan for access to primary care. The plan focuses on three investments: £645 million to expand community pharmacy and set-up a Pharmacy First scheme; £385 million for additional staff; and £240 million to digitise practice communications. Practices could get around £60,000 to move off analogue phones and adopt cloud telephony if they sign-up by July this year. The plan also incorporates targets for the NHS App, saying patients in 90% of practices should be able to see their records, book appointments, and order repeat prescriptions by March next year – up from 20% now.
Category
Pressure and staff shortages across Europe 
The Financial Times has published an article demonstrating that it is not just the NHS that is struggling to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. It says many central European health systems are short of staff and capacity, while facing growing demand from backlogs, ageing populations, and climate change. This is leading to an exodus of skilled workers, industrial action, and pressure for investment, reform, and use of digital technology. Disruption to health services is also contributing to high levels of excess deaths; although on this measure the UK is struggling more than other countries, with nearly 40,000 deaths more than the five-year average last year (The Guardian).
NHS
Staff news: about apprenticeships and the next strike round 
The government is considering an apprenticeship scheme to create a non-degree route into medicine. The BBC reported that the government’s much-delayed workforce plan will propose a five-year apprenticeship with a junior doctor’s job at the end of it. Nursing apprenticeships will also be extended. Meanwhile, the Royal College of Nursing has announced that it will run a new ballot for strike action from 23 May to 23 June (Nursing in Practice). The RCN was forced to accept the government’s latest pay deal because the NHS Staff Council voted for it, but has said action could continue, and needs a new mandate for further action.
Health IT
Health IT news: from Portsmouth, Scarborough, and Bolton 
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust is trialling MyRenalCare, digitalhealth.net has reported. In the past year, 1,200 patients with chronic kidney disease have used the app, which has improved outpatient clinic capacity and cut referral times for new patients. A hospice in Scarborough has gone live with the Yorkshire Shared Care Record, digitalhealth.net has reported. Staff at St Catherine’s can now view residents’ history, allergies, medications, and end-of-life wishes. Royal Bolton Hospital has introduced a tracking system to show patients the progress of prescriptions and when they are ready to collect, the Bolton News has reported. Patients can monitor progress on tracking boards or an app.
Health IT
Company news: about Babylon and Clinisys 
Babylon Health has reported another significant loss and announced plans to go private (business wire). The company’s chief executive, Ali Parsa, has previously described its decision to go public as an “unbelievable, unmitigated disaster” (Financial Times, November 2022). The company has an online triage and digital GP offer and once looked as if it would disrupt the NHS. But it is now focusing on US insurers. Clinisys has acquired Promium, a provider of laboratory systems for environmental, water, and other health and safety laboratories (Health Tech World). Clinisys has made a number of acquisitions recently to extend its reach out of traditional, hospital labs.
What should be top of mind for the new NHS CIO?
Analysis
The NHS is looking for a new chief information officer, and the Highland Marketing advisory board has been considering what should be on his or her ‘to do’ list.
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