Digital can make a difference

A worrying BBC News (2019) headline in December reported that hospitals across England are using 21 separate electronic systems to record patient care. Researchers suggested this was risking patient safety because the IT systems do not ‘talk’ to each other, making cross-referencing difficult and potentially leading to errors. The research team, from Imperial College's Institute of Global Health Innovation, looked at data from 152 hospitals, and found that around one quarter were still using paper records and 10% were using multiple systems within the same hospital.

In 2016 the idea of Global Digital Exemplars (GDEs)—NHS providers delivering improvements in the quality of care through the world-class use of digital technologies and information—was launched. Exemplars would share their learning and experiences, creating blueprints to enable other trusts to follow in their footsteps as quickly and effectively as possible. The programme was created following the need identified in the Five Year Forward View, and the Personalised Health and Care Framework (National Information Board, 2014; NHS England, 2017). The NHS Long Term Plan continued the theme of enabling the use of IT to join up timely access to accurate information, support service change to help improve health for all and provide patients with better access to their records.

‘By 2024, secondary care providers in England … will be fully digitised, including clinical and operational processes across all settings, locations and departments.’