The Department of Health and Social Care has announced plans to introduce an innovator passport across the NHS, said to support technology that has been assessed by one NHS organisation, to be rolled out by others.
The purpose of the passport is to increase the visibility of effective technologies in healthcare, with the system acting as a “best buyer’s guide” when it comes to digital tools that have been “robustly assessed” already.
DHSC’s MedTech Compass, will make these innovations and the evidence underpinning them, clear to buyers within the NHS, with an aim to implement the “passport” over the next two years into the platform. DHSC notes the aim to “speed up decision-making, allowing technology to scale faster – making it easier for trusts across the country to find, assess, and adopt proven technologies”.
Speaking on the passports, secretary of state for health and social care, Wes Streeting, said: “For too long, Britain’s leading scientific minds have been held back by needless admin that means suppliers are repeatedly asked for the same data in different formats by different trusts – this is bad for the NHS, patients and bad for business.
“These innovator passports will save time and reduce duplication, meaning our life sciences sector – a central part of our 10 Year Health Plan – can work hand in hand with the health service and make Britain a powerhouse for medical technology.”
Government plans for digital transformation across the NHS
The GOV.UK App has been made available for download, giving patients the opportunity to interact with government services through their smartphones instead of searching the internet for answers. The app will reportedly allow people to get information, request support or change their details with ease.
A digital system designed to flag potential safety concerns will be rolled out to all maternity services by November 2025, the government has stated as part of a national maternity investigation.
Wales recently launched a £120 million package to fund the reduction of long wait times and the size of waiting lists in the NHS by 200,000, according to an announcement made by health secretary, Jeremy Miles.
The government has published a series of human-centred frameworks alongside a practical toolkit for the safe implementation of generative AI. It features nine tips for leaders that are “critical to success” and focuses on three stages including, adopt, sustain and optimise.
