COVID-19 sparked NHS digital revolution and further financial support needed

COVID-19 sparked NHS digital revolution and further financial support needed
      

Responding to the Public Accounts Committee’s report titled Digital transformation in the NHS, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, said:

“Health leaders tell us that the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has seen a digital revolution with the creation of shared care records, a wholescale shift of GP appointments to telephone and online, and the rapid adoption of video-based outpatient and follow-up appointments, alongside continuing to provide face-to-face services where needed.

“Patients and frontline healthcare workers have responded well to these new ways of accessing healthcare but our members need support to take them further, particularly around infrastructure improvements and up to date equipment. In our recent survey, almost three-quarters of NHS leaders said they did not have enough capital funding to upgrade their infrastructure, including IT.

“Health leaders shouldn’t be expected to raid their limited capital budgets to support these developments and we need to see a commitment to greater financial support from the Chancellor’s one-year spending plan with a commitment to a proper longer-term plan for capital investment in all parts of the NHS, not just the repeatedly announced 40 hospitals.”