Matt Hancock gave his first speech as health and social care secretary and said that his first three priorities were workforce, technology and prevention. In the speech at his local hospital in West Suffolk, he revealed that he uses an NHS GP app powered by Babylon Health, praised the hospital’s Medic Bleep communication app, and confirmed £487 million of funding for NHS technology, with £75 million for e-prescribing. In a later appearance in front of the health and social care select committee, he further endorsed the use of IT in the health service, arguing that it could be used to integrate services. As if to underline the importance of workforce, the Health Foundation warned that nursing shortages are now a major issue, and the government’s handling of pay increases caused fury among NHS employees and employers. In health IT news, the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust announced that it will deploy a new entrant to the mental health EPR market: CareDirector from CareWorks. SystemC won a major child health record project and Cerner announced the expansion of its Dublin R&D base.
Healthcare Roundup 27 July 2018
