techUK announces recommendations for advancing digital transformation in health and social care
[London, UK] 21 November 2024 – techUK today unveiled a comprehensive set of recommendations designed to address critical challenges and shape the strategic direction of digital transformation within the UK’s health and social care sectors.
The health and care sector faces extraordinary pressures, with record-breaking waiting list lengths and poor staff and patient satisfaction, demand for services continuing to rise, and with health and care staff experiencing huge strain. Considering these pressures, the next five years represent a critical time in which to confront these challenges and shape the future of the health and social care system.
techUK’s recommendations propose nine pragmatic areas for action during the current five-year parliamentary term. The recommendations both address challenges faced by the health and social care sector as well as outlining opportunities to advance the use of digital, data and technology in health and care. The nine areas of recommendations are:
Support strategic change through industry engagement and cross-system collaboration
Protect and invest in the digital transformation of health and social care
Improve commercial and procurement practices
Organise the data landscape
Prepare for artificial intelligence
Define the next phase of the NHS App
Accelerate digital transformation in social care
Foster integration across health, social care and other public services
Address the gap in digital skills and leadership
techUK's recommendations for health and social care demonstrate opportunities for the collective strategic action needed, from national to local levels, to address present-day health and care pressures and support the transformation and innovation required for continued modernisation and future resilience.
Implementing the recommended actions will provide greater clarity, calculated focus and stability to the health and care technology industry, which continues to demonstrate significant value and impact to health and care services across the UK.
techUK reaffirms its commitment to working closely with industry partners, the Government, NHS, social care organisations and key actors across the health and care sectors to tackle system-wide challenges, support the priorities of the Government and health and care services, and enhance the health and wellbeing of UK citizens. The organisation welcomes strong, sustained industry engagement to co-create solutions and shape the future of digital transformation in the health and care sectors.
Matthew Evans, Director of Markets and COO, said:
“techUK's recommendations for health and social care are a call to collective action, underscoring the need for a strategic, industry-informed approach to the next steps of digital transformation in health and social care. Embracing these opportunities for pragmatic action will not only directly impact the current challenges faced in health and care services, but also pave the way for further transformation, innovation adoption and the future resilience of our health and care systems. Cross-system collaboration and action across the recommendations, with committed support from the health and care technology sector, has the power to support improvements to the health and lives of citizens across the UK.”
Notes to Editors
The full report can be downloaded here.
Click here to find out more about techUK's Health and Social Care programme and get in touch with the techUK Health and Social Care Team.