Select Committee · Health and Social Care Committee

Digital transformation in the NHS

Status: Closed Opened: 13 May 2022 Closed: 6 Sep 2023 8 recommendations 7 conclusions 1 report

The Committee has launched a new inquiry focusing on digital transformation in the NHS. The inquiry will explore the current use of digital technology and examine how it needs to change in order to deliver an improvement in services and outcomes for patients. The inquiry will consider key aspects of NHS digital transformation such as …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Eighth Report - Digital transformation in the NHS HC 223 30 Jun 2023 15 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
1 Conclusion Eighth Report - Digital transformation … Accepted

Digital transformation of the NHS faces slow, uneven progress with significant challenges.

Successive Governments have attempted digital transformation of the NHS. Progress has been slow and uneven, and there is now substantial variation between organisations. This attempt has the potential to be different, with clear intentions and funding to address factors that have frustrated progress in the past. These include the preponderance …

Government response. The government asserts it has a coherent policy and a suite of planned NHS App features that will be refined based on user research and usage data. It highlights ongoing user engagement via a 40,000-member panel and various promotional activities …
Department of Health and Social Care
4 Recommendation Eighth Report - Digital transformation … Accepted

Standards framework essential for improving NHS interoperability and health data sharing across systems.

We support the Hewitt review’s recommendation that the Department, NHS England and ICSs should work together to develop a standards framework to be adopted by all ICSs. This should improve interoperability and data sharing within and between systems. This should include working closely with sectors that could feed into shared …

Government response. The government has published a draft strategy for information sharing standards and interoperability, with final publication expected in Winter 2023. It also commits to providing targeted funding and support, including a further £100 million over the next two years, to …
Department of Health and Social Care
9 Conclusion Eighth Report - Digital transformation … Accepted

Significant digital skills gap in social care hinders sector transformation

There is a digital skills gap in social care that, if unaddressed, will hinder the digital transformation of the health and social care sectors. As with training for staff in the health service, it is vital that digital skills are integrated throughout learning and development for social care staff, rather …

Government response. The government outlines a comprehensive vision to uplift digital skills across the multi-disciplinary health and care workforce through existing programmes like The Digital Academy, Digital Health Leadership Programme, Topol Digital Fellowship, and specific free training programmes for social care professionals.
Department of Health and Social Care
11 Recommendation Eighth Report - Digital transformation … Accepted

Ensure continued availability of non-digital channels for patient access to services

Many patients could benefit from encouragement and support to use digital services that might not initially be their first choice, but there will be some patients who continue to prefer physical channels. The Department and NHS England must ensure that non-digital channels remain available, especially as it develops and implements …

Government response. The government states that patients unable to use digital channels can already continue to access services via telephone and traditional face-to-face services, and describes past and ongoing programmes to support digital skills.
Department of Health and Social Care

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
14 Mar 2023 Dr Tim Ferris · NHS England, Kathy Hall · Department of Health and Social Care, The Lord Markham CBE · Department of Health and Social Care View ↗
11 Jan 2023 Chris Askew · Diabetes UK, David Ramsden · Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Dr Tim Ferris · NHS England, Jackie Gray · NHS Digital, Kathy Hall · Department of Health and Social Care, Liz Ashall-Payne · ORCHA, Simon Bolton · NHS Digital View ↗
15 Nov 2022 Dr Paul Atkinson · Royal College of General Practitioners, John Dean · Royal College of Physicians, Karen Payne · NHS Dorset, Pritesh Mistry · The King's Fund View ↗