Healthcare Roundup

Seven days in the NHS and health IT

NHS pay plans bomb with staff and managers and will hit IT investment

The government has accepted the recommendations of the public sector pay bodies, which reported this week (Sky News). NHS staff will get a pay rise of at least 4.5%, with some of the lowest paid getting double that. However, unions pointed out that this is significantly below inflation, which reached a 40 year high of 9.4% this week with predictions that it could be 12% by the autumn (The Guardian). Strikes look likely. Meanwhile, the King’s Fund and the NHS Confederation noted that the NHS budgeted for a 3% rise and, since government has decided not to fund the difference, cuts will have to be made elsewhere.

IT is a traditional target for cuts in these circumstances, and the Health Service Journal duly reported that NHS England has indicated that “the additional cost will require NHSE and the Department [of Health and Social Care] to reprioritise centrally held budget lines, including national technology programmes.” The focus of the NHS’ central bodies is ever more tightly focused on finances, dealing with the elective backlog, the crisis in ambulance and emergency services, and capacity, and this is narrowing the opportunities for IT investment outside national priorities like virtual wards.

NHS Providers calls for climate adaptations

To the horror of climate scientists, temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius were recorded in the UK this week (Met Office). A red extreme heat warning was issued for Monday and Tuesday, but the conditions still added to pressure on the NHS. Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said trusts didn’t have the infrastructure to cope, and there was an urgent need for investment in adaptive measures, such as cooler uniforms, and vehicles, and modern operating theatres and IT infrastructure. The National Audit Office has launched a value for money review into the government’s claims that it is building 40 new hospitals (BBC news).

Covid-19 inquiry opens

The UK’s Covid-19 public inquiry has finally started work (The Guardian). Chair Dame Heather Hallett opened what is likely to be one of the country’s biggest ever statutory investigations on Thursday, saying she wanted to hear from a broad range of people involved in the pandemic, including those affected by bereavement and “those whose voices are not always heard.” The inquiry will be split into modules examining different aspects of the response. Hearings on the UK preparedness will start next spring and hearings on key decisions, such as lockdown, will start next summer. More than 200,000 people have now died and had Covid recorded on their death certificates.

Health IT news: heat exhaustion searches rocket; NHS Digital invites bids for wireless tech trials; Digitising Social Care programme opens bids for £25 million of funding

NHS Digital released figures showing that the number of visits to the heat exhaustion section of the NHS website increased by 525% in the run up to the heat explosion (digitalhealth.net). NHS Digital has also opened bids to take part in this year's round of Wireless Centre of Excellence trials. It's looking for innovative ideas for using wireless to improve health and care (NHS Digital).The Digitising Social Care programme in the NHS England transformation directorate is inviting integrated care systems to bid for £25 million of funding. It’s priorities are digital social care records and sensors to prevent falls (HTN).

County Durham and Darlington works with C2-Ai to reduce acute kidney injury

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has introduced a new care model to identify and promptly treat patients at risk of acute kidney injury, the Clinical Services Journal has reported. Staff use technology developed by C2-Ai to risk assess patients and can call on a team of specialist nurses for intervention and follow-up. The new model has led to a reduction in hospital-acquired AKI of more than 80% (from an average of 44 cases per month in 2019-20 to an average of five cases per month in 2020-21). Addressing AKI is an NHS policy priority, as the condition is associated with around 100,000 deaths per year.

Trust IT news: Bedfordshire Hospitals builds shared care record with InterSystems, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells extends TeleTracking flow tech; Cornwall develops app library with ORCHA

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is working with InterSystems on a shared health and care record that will use its HealthShare technology (digitalhealth.net). Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is expanding its patient flow system into four community trusts, using TeleTracking technology (digitalhealth.net). NHS Kernow (which is now part of the NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care System) has created a digital health library for people living in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, working with the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA).

Health tech comms for tough, competitive times

Highland Marketing Blog

The NHS is emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic with limited resources to meet the huge pressure it is under. That’s focusing attention on national targets and upping the stakes for health tech companies with digital solutions to help deliver on them.

At times like this, effective sales, marketing and PR campaigns are essential. Highland Marketing co-founders Mark and Susan Venables have some pointers to offer.