The NHS is failing to make it more convenient for the public to receive the care they need, by not making use of everyday technology and innovation that consumers would welcome, say two new reports published today (24 October 2008) by The King’s Fund, the health ‘think tank’.
The reports argue the NHS has been slow to adopt technologies that are already in widespread use elsewhere, such as in the financial services and travel industries.
Even well-established technologies, such as email and the internet, are not being used routinely in the NHS to help patients – for example, with booking GP appointments, receiving routine test results, viewing medical records or having online consultations. By embedding everyday technology into its services and introducing more advanced technologies, the NHS could improve the patient experience, deliver better clinical outcomes and save money.
Given that the NHS IT programme has been rumbling on for years – at a greater and greater cost – these two reports highlight just how much still needs to be achieved at even quite a basic level.
www.kingsfund.org.uk
Visit the Fuse Learning website at: www.fuselearning.co.uk
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