The recent health White Paper,
Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS set out the government’s commitment to
put the needs of patients at the heart of the NHS through easy access to
information and a continuous focus on clinical outcomes.
Meeting the
expectations of users, patients and clinicians for quality care while continuing
to seek out greater value for money savings and improved sustainability poses a
considerable challenge and healthcare technology is a unique opportunity to
improve patient care while increasing efficiency.
The White Paper announced the government’s intention to create an “information revolution” to boost transparency and foster a culture of active responsibility through a shift in focus towards publishing data on patient outcomes.
Information will strengthen the collective voice of patients and the public led by a powerful new consumer champion, Health Watch England, which will sit within the Care Quality Commission. This will improve accountability, fuelled by data that are meaningful to patients and clinicians when making decisions about care, rather than by what has been collected historically. Christine Connelly, Chief Information Officer at the Department of Health, will deliver the morning keynote presentation, outlining the effect of patient-centred health systems on provider choice, healthcare supplier competition and the healthcare economy.
Changes to the National Programme for IT, combined with the move to make every NHS Trust into a Foundation Trust with greater autonomy over procedure and spend, will likely lead to more localised ownership of data. Dr Mark Ferrar, Director of Technology Strategy, Department of Health Informatics Directorate, has been confirmed to offer guidance and direction on the Government ICT Strategy, and the extent to which it will change. Other areas of discussion will include how to best achieve value for money in ICT procurement, greater efficiency and effectiveness in the use of ICT in the NHS, and how to engage patients and the public so that they embrace the healthcare technology opportunities available to them.
The streamed format of the afternoon plenary has been tailored to the diverse interests of healthcare practitioners across the sector. The first stream will focus on how collaborative and interactive technology can free up staff time on the ward and improve patient care. The core focus of the second stream will question how mobile and wireless healthcare technology can and is being used to create a more patient-centred NHS. Professor Bernard Crump, Chief Executive Officer, NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement will deliver this stream's keynote address. His presentation will be of particular interest in light of the review of arm’s length bodies and the decision to abolish the NHS Institute. Rounding out the streamed sessions, the final stream asks tough questions on information assurance and security of patient data. Jonathan Bamford, Head of Strategic Liaison, Information Commissioner's Office, has been confirmed to speak in this key session.
The coalition government wants to build on Lord Darzi’s vision to establish improvement in quality and healthcare outcomes as the primary purpose of all NHS-funded care. The Healthcare Technology 2010 conference is your opportunity to discuss and debate how this goal can be achieved through the application of advanced clinical and ICT solutions. With its streamed plenary, insightful workshop sessions and unrivalled networking opportunities, this is a conference not to be missed; we look forward to welcoming you.
© GovNet Events 2010
