Health Management and Policy Alert

Data access policy update: proposed draft

Department of Health and Social Care -
In September 2022 the 12 policy guidelines for secure data environments was published. This policy update has been drafted to build on these guidelines, setting out key policy decisions made so far. The views and feedback gathered from this consultation will inform the final version of this policy update, as well as longer-term priorities and actions for data access policy. This policy update is intended for a technical audience, such as data controllers, data users and platform providers. The consultation closes on 23 June 2023.

• Consultation
• Department of Health and Social Care - consultations

Realising the potential of virtual wards

NHS Confederation - 
Virtual wards are increasingly being used by the NHS to provide care to patients where they live, whether in a care setting or at home. The NHS has been set a target of 40–50 virtual wards per 100,000 people and, more immediately, to scale up capacity ahead of next winter, to above 10,000 beds by this autumn. This report sets out the critical factors needed to enable the NHS to succeed in achieving these targets and to make virtual wards a sustainable model in the longer term, where patient demand and satisfaction are met, as well as better productivity.

• Report

NHS England's protection of patient data

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - 
One of the recommendations from Putting data, digital and tech at the heart of transforming the NHS focused on establishing a single. central authority responsible for all elements of digital technology, data and transformation across the NHS. This guidance outlines how NHS England will be carrying out the statutory functions that have been transferred from NHS Digital, as of 1 February 2023.

• Guidance

Digital working in adult social care: What Good Looks Like for local authorities and care providers

Department of Health and Social Care -
People at the heart of care set out a ten year vision to reform adult social care, recognising the role of technology in improving the quality and safety of care. As part of the work to achieve ambitions for digital transformation, the Department of Health and Social Care has developed guidance on ‘what good looks like’ for social care technology. The guidance aims to bring the needs of local authorities and care providers into one piece of guidance to develop understanding of what they need to do to work well digitally.

• Guidance
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

NHS data: maximising its impact for all

Imperial College London - 

This paper identifies strategic and technical recommendations to move towards developing a health data policy ecosystem that is designed so that value, either clinical, societal or financial, is more readily extracted from patient data.

• Paper
• More detail

How primary care physicians experience telehealth: an international comparison

Commonwealth Fund - 

This report sets out the findings from the 2022 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians. It explores the uptake and impact of telehealth across ten countries (including the United Kingdom). The majority of primary care physicians in half of the surveyed countries see some patients in a typical week via telehealth, whether through video or audio. In more than half the countries most physicians believe telehealth has improved timeliness of care and enabled them to perform mental and behavioral health needs assessments.

• Report

Effectively embedding digital in your trust

NHS Providers - 

This guide, prepared with Public Digital as part of the Digital Boards programme, highlights key learnings from the programme's previous six leadership guides. It covers insights from NHS board leaders on a range of topics, including: digital leadership – understanding the role of the board; building and enabling digital teams; creating an effective digital strategy; making technology decisions; digital delivery; and optimising electronic patient record systems (EPR).

• Guide
• More detail

Technology-enabled lives: delivering outcomes for people and providers

TEC Action Alliance - 

This paper (produced in partnership with over 30 organisations) highlights the lack of widespread adoption of digital social care services despite the public’s desire for technology to better support those who draw on social care and health services. The paper reveals that only a handful of councils, housing, and care organisations are delivering digital care in people’s homes at scale. This is despite evidence that using technology in social care keeps people safe, healthy, and happy at home.

• Report
• More detail

Moving from exclusion to inclusion in digital health and care

The King's Fund -
In this long read, The King's Fund explores what digital exclusion is, who is commonly assumed to be excluded, and what can be done to mitigate digital exclusion.

• Report
• The King's Fund - digital equity project

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Healthcare Technologies Capability framework

Health Education England (HEE) - 

HEE commissioned the University of Manchester to perform a learning needs analysis and develop a framework outlining the skills and capabilities to ensure health and care professionals can work in a digitally enhanced environment.

• Framework
• Press release