- Rising demand for services, constrained funding and a multitude of workforce challenges require us to think differently about the way we deliver health and care services to meet people’s needs and expectations. This publication explores how digital tools are a key part of the answer to this set of challenges, and demonstrates how technology has the potential to revolutionise the way health and care is delivered.
- The Forward view, published in October 2014, set out a vision for the future of the health and care services based on new models of care. In 2015, 50 local health and social care systems, or ‘vanguards’, were selected to take the lead on the development of these new care models. A number of vanguards are focused on implementing digital solutions at the heart of a new approach to care. This publication looks at how five of the vanguards are harnessing technology.
- Technology has the potential to fundamentally change the way people interact with health and care services and improve quality of care. New approaches to service delivery through the introduction of technology should be co-produced with people who use services and clinicians to ensure that the solutions are anchored in their needs and experiences.
- The vanguards show the potential for technology to enhance, rather than replace, existing services. This requires teams to think through how the solutions will support existing systems, processes and ways of working. Central to this is engaging staff in the development process, understanding how they work and want to work in future, and providing ongoing support and training.
- When it comes to harnessing technology, local areas should ‘steal with pride’ and make use of learning and evidence from other areas. The national health and care bodies have a key role to play in the dissemination of good practice.
- However, new technological solutions need to be considered within the context of local needs, and anchored to wider change programmes across organisations and whole health and care systems. In isolation, small-scale technology projects will not bring about the fundamental shift envisioned in the Forward view. Teams should consider how they can make use of local place-based approaches that encourage collaboration across public services and capitalise on existing strengths and resources in the community.