Dame Barbara Hakin, chair of the Health Tech Alliance, reflects on the last 12 months and explains why COVID-19 has highlighted the increasing need for the NHS to embrace technological change.
When the Health Tech Alliance held its inaugural Parliament & Healthtech Conference back in January 2020, it is fair to say it took place in a completely different world. The event was physical, health secretary Matt Hancock gave a speech to a packed audience and COVID-19 was not even on the agenda.
While we have always known of the potential for a pandemic, I doubt if any of us could seriously have imagined the magnitude of what has happened.
There is no doubt that the past year has changed everything for the NHS. When the Parliament & Healthtech Conference focussed on the future challenges facing the NHS in the new decade, this did not account for the pressures that COVID-19 would place on the NHS’ capacity, funding and workforce. While the NHS’ value to society has been underlined by its performance through the pandemic, once the acute crisis has subsided, the NHS will still be confronted by the biggest challenges it has ever faced.
The same concerns that have consistently been raised about the NHS’ long-term sustainability have been compounded tenfold because of COVID-19: the official waiting list could reach 10 million by April, budgets are being pushed to their limits and we are yet to truly experience the consequences of an exhausted and traumatised workforce.
However, despite this year of change, one constant is that technology will still play a vital role in addressing these challenges. COVID-19 led to technology being adopted at a rate that would have taken years in normal times. Whether it was increasing the uptake of virtual consultations, using AI to map out ICU capacity across Trusts or launching a nationwide contact tracing app, technology played an essential role in dealing with the direct and indirect consequences of the pandemic. The past year has proven that in times of need, technology can provide rapid and effective solutions to improve efficiency, save money, and most importantly, save lives.
As the chair of the Health Tech Alliance, I strongly believe that technology still has that transformative power to reduce the burden on NHS staff, to offer more innovative and effective solutions to patients and to guarantee the long-term sustainability of the NHS. Technology has a vital role to play in the post-COVID landscape; by offering remote care to vulnerable patients, helping to deal with mounting waiting lists, and by promoting the UK as a global leader in health innovation as we embark on life outside of the European Union.
This year’s Parliament & Healthtech Conference will look a little bit different to last years. It will be taking place virtually, its focus will evidently be more on COVID-19 and it will be happening on the 27th April, rather than in January. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is its focus on how technology can provide solutions for the NHS to save money and save lives.
I hope that you can join us at this Conference, and you can register a place for the event here.
