27 Jan 2023
by Dilem Tekan

NHS Frontline Digitisation: Opportunities for health-tech suppliers (Guest blog by Stotles)

Guest blog by Dilem Tekan, Growth Associate at Stotles

Public sector sales-enablement tool Stotles has released a free report on the NHS’s Frontline Digistation Programme. The report highlights specific opportunities for tech suppliers to get involved with in 2023.

The Frontline Digitisation Programme aims to get all NHS trusts up to a basic level of digital capability. Key digital initiatives focus on:

  • Accelerating the roll out of electronic records

  • Improving cyber security

  • Establishing connectivity across health and social care

The report goes into further detail on each area of focus for suppliers, but a summary of each can be found below. 

1. Accelerating the Electronic Patient Record(EPR) rollout

Digitising paper patient records is a primary goal for the Frontline Digitisation programme. With modern electronic patient records (EPRs), NHS staff will be able to access and share relevant patient records quickly, improving efficiency at the point of care.

With a goal to implement EPR’s across 90% of NHS Trusts by December 2023, NHS England have divided NHS Trusts into four separate groups, based on their EPR Maturity. Inside the full report, Stotles takes a closer look at the trusts prioritized for investment, identifying the key organizations EPR suppliers can approach in 2023.

2. Improving Cyber Security

Following NHS cyber attacks in 2022, improving cyber security will be a continued priority for Frontline Digitisation in 2023.

James Reed, Chair of the Digital Health CCIO Network Advisory Pane, told Digital Health: “I am expecting to see a big push on clinical safety and cybersecurity this year, especially given the high-profile incidents in the course of the year. There is a clear need to hold suppliers to account, but also for the NHS to become a better informed and intelligent customer on these matters.”

Stoltes have identified concrete ways cyber suppliers can anticipate opportunities with the NHS in 2023. Inside the report you will find data on the most popular public-sector cyber solutions, and the top suppliers involved. 

3. Establishing connectivity across integrated care

Following the NHS transition to Integrated Care Systems last June, there will be an emphasis on increasing connectivity across shared care networks. ICSs face the challenge of bringing together operational data, stored in separate systems at separate organisations, so staff can retrieve clinical information efficiently.

One major project the NHS is implementing to achieve connectivity across ICS’s is the “Federated Data Platform”, which will provide every integrated care system (ICS) with their own platform that can connect and collaborate with other data platforms as a “federation” making it easier for health and care organisations to work together.

Implementing and configuring this platform across 42 ICSs is likely to create downstream opportunities for technology suppliers able to assist with this digital transformation. Inside the report, Stotles reveals their key tip for suppliers looking to get ahead of this contract.

To access the full Stotles report and the opportunities involved, please use the link below.

NHS Frontline Digitisation Report

Authors

Dilem Tekan

Dilem Tekan

Growth Associate, Stotles