News in Brief

News in Brief: Chase Farm HIMSS EMRAM stage 7, HEE Digital Health Leadership, Leeds digital interns…

This week at HTN, we covered the news of 128 successful bids as part of the Digital Maternity Fund, explored Sajid Javid’s speech where he set out a vision for the NHS from a digital perspective, and also published our keynote talk from HTN Digital Primary Care with Dr Minal Bakhai on transforming the model of general practice.

Here we take a look at some industry news that has caught our attention…

Chase Farm achieves HIMSS EMRAM stage 7

Chase Farm Hospital has achieved HIMSS Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) stage 7.

Glenn WinteringhamChief Digital Officer at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, announced the news: “I am thrilled to confirm that we achieved HIMSS EMRAM stage 7 for Chase Farm Hospital this week, the highest level of healthcare digital maturity globally. It’s the culmination of an amazing digital transformation journey when the new Chase Farm Hospital opened in 2018. I’m very proud and privileged to work with so many amazing people at Chase Farm Hospital, Clinical Informatics, IM&T and Cerner.”

In January, as part of the HTN Interview Series, we spoke with Glenn to discuss the latest developments in their digital transformation programmes.

Digital Health Leadership Programme opens

Applications are now open for the NHS Digital Academy’s Digital Health Leadership Programme, with a deadline to apply by 24 March 2022.

The 12 month accredited Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Digital Health Leadership is delivered by Imperial College London, The University of Edinburgh, and HDR UK through a blend of online and in-person learning methods.

There are six modules, including Essentials of health systems; Strategy and transformational change; Health information systems and technologies; User-centred design and citizen-driven informatics; Decision support, knowledge management and actionable analytics; Principles of leadership; and Leadership in practice.

Edinburgh Innovations Students and University of Edinburgh launches EmpowHER

EmpowHER is a new resource hub for all female entrepreneurs, including courses, podcasts and videos, as well as a list of organisations supporting female entrepreneurs.

To view the hub and watch the videos, please click here.

Wellbeing Software appoints new CEO

Wellbeing Softwar has announced that Robert Miller has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer.

Robert has joined Wellbeing (a Citadel Group company) from Allscripts, where he was responsible for Commercial Operations across all non-US businesses.

Mark McConnell, Chief Executive Officer of The Citadel Group, commented: “I am delighted that Robert has joined Wellbeing Software as Chief Executive Officer. His appointment follows a rigorous recruitment process, and we firmly believe that Robert is ideally placed at the helm of Wellbeing as we continue the rapid growth of our business both in the UK and abroad. Robert brings extensive experience in improving both patient and customer outcomes on a global scale as well as a strong background in driving growth of large international healthcare businesses.”

Leeds Teaching Hospitals help local students gain digital experience

A new intern programme has been developed by the digital team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.

The trust has worked with the Leeds University Union to design and offer local students the opportunity to gain paid work experience in digital roles.

Martin Waugh, Associate Director of Digital, heads up the Development team at LTHT: “Our interns have done some fantastic work over the past few years. They play a really important role in the team, helping us realise the potential for new functionality, and have been invaluable during the COVID pandemic, getting involved in new releases and helping to expedite the development of key pieces of functionality. We’re looking forward to continuing the development of the programme, offering a wealth of opportunities for local students to learn in a structured, supportive environment.”

NHS Digital reveals the days COVID-19 vaccine bookings reached its highest

NHS Digital has published statistics for COVID-19 vaccinations bookings online, with 10 separate days counting more than 8 million vaccinations booked on the NHS website.

The highest day for bookings was 8 June 2021, with 1.03 million appointments made –  700 bookings a minute or 43,000 an hour. This is when jabs became available to 25 to 29-year-olds.

Another high volume period was in December. 2.3 million bookings were made across three days when boosters became available to under 40s.

To date 69 million bookings have been made online since its launch.

James Hawkins, Executive Director of Product Delivery at NHS Digital, said: “These figures show the huge demand for COVID-19 vaccinations and we are immensely proud that the National Booking Service has enabled millions of people to book their crucial jabs quickly and easily.”

To find out more, please visit the NHS Digital website.

Live streaming boosts robotic-assisted surgical training

A new educational tool has been launched at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which securely livestreams surgery in Norfolk to the next generation of surgeons across the UK and Europe.

Mr Irshad Shaikh, Consultant Colorectal and lead Robotic Surgeon at NNUH, who helps train surgeons in robotic-assisted practice, said: “Case observation is the first step for surgeons who want to learn about robotic-assisted surgery before they start their training in a lab. If someone is in Ireland or Germany, it can be difficult to get to Norfolk. Telepresence allows them to watch on a laptop and ask questions.

“Face-to-face learning is still preferred, but this suits busy lives, and this is another big step for our unit as a national and internationally renowned centre for robotic-assisted surgical training.”