East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust together with the Kent and Medway Cancer Collaborative, have open a procurement for a cancer information system, aiming to support the management of their cancer pathway.
The trust plans to introduce the platform across the entire cancer pathway, providing the ability to manage referrals for suspected cancer, ongoing treatment of confirmed cancers, self-supported management pathways via NHS login and patient portal, holistic needs assessment, treatment summaries and screening and surveillance of liver and lung cancers.
The £2 million contract is said to last for five years, with potential for renewal of up to two years. Suppliers are encouraged to express interest in the tender via the Atemis e-sourcing portal, with the application deadline set for 11 April 2025.
This follows the publication of NHS Kent and Medway’s five-year primary care strategy in November of last year, which highlights continued efforts on improving access through digital front doors, increased use of the NHS app, and digital appointment systems. Key areas of focus include same day access hubs, online consultations, cloud telephony, care navigation and triage, and access to self-care, with key enablers including workforce, estates, digital technology, and communications.
Improving patient pathways with digital technology
Dublin-based maternity hospital, Rotunda Hospital, recently entered into a strategic partnership with UK-based company Isla Health, to digitise and personalise patient pathways. The partnership is said to focus on enhancing patient engagement with personalised digital pathways in order to support patients across the entire hospital, including gynaecology, obstetrics and neonatal care, as well as providing clinicians with real-time data to support decision-making.
In a recent feature, we shared how the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust also collaborated with Isla Health on an award-winning case study to help transform dermatology services. They introduced remote care solutions for Community Lesion Imaging Clinics, significantly improving patient access and operational efficiency.
NHS England South East reported a total of 175,000 patients have used virtual ward services since April 2022. The latest updates show the “steady growth” of this care pathway with “over 85,000 admissions to virtual wards” across the region during 2024, resulting in an 18 percent uplift since 2023.
The introduction of a Single Point of Access scheme in Norfolk and Waveney has provided a hub through which clinicians from different services work together to refer patients. This new virtual ward pathway has reportedly helped 90 percent of referred patients avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
