Digital Transformation in the NHS
Public Accounts Committee
Closed
Inquiry
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has a longstanding ambition to digitally transform the NHS and to enable seamless data sharing (interoperability) between the many organisations that make up the health and care system. DHSC’s previous attempt at instituting a paperless patient record, to enable smooth sharing of …
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5
Recommendations
19
Conclusions
1
Report
1
Oral session
1
Event
Activity timeline 3 events
4 Feb
2021
2021
6 Nov
2020
2020
Report published
17 Sep
2020
2020
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
17 Sep 2020
View on parliament.uk
Digital transformation in the NHS
David Williams · Daily Mail
Matthew Gould CMG MBE · NHSX
Sarah Wilkinson · NHS Digital
Reports 1 report · click to expand
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twenty-Second Report - Digital transformation in the NHS | HC 680 | 6 Nov 2020 | 24 | Responded |
Recommendations & Conclusions
13 results
10
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
The Department, NHSX and NHS Digital told us that the COVID-19 outbreak had shown how...
The Department, NHSX and NHS Digital told us that the COVID-19 outbreak had shown how quickly and efficiently the NHS can introduce new IT services and adapt to new technologies.15 This view was echoed by NHS Providers, which told us …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's conclusion, recognising the importance of a clear digital strategy. It plans to publish a comprehensive digital strategy and implementation plan for the entire health and social care system by Spring 2021, outlining a clear plan to digitise and connect the NHS and social care.
HM Treasury
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11
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
Since 2016, management of the portfolio of national programmes to digitally transform the NHS has...
Since 2016, management of the portfolio of national programmes to digitally transform the NHS has been overseen by the Department, NHSE&I and NHS Digital. The National Audit Office reported that these governance arrangements were complex. It found that problems included …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's observation regarding complex governance and states that the new digital strategy (Spring 2021) will outline clear roles and responsibilities for national digital bodies. The Digital Transformation Board has also been established to ensure strategic alignment and accountability.
HM Treasury
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12
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
In May 2020, the new governance arrangements for NHSX had not been finalised.19 We received...
In May 2020, the new governance arrangements for NHSX had not been finalised.19 We received written evidence from NHS Providers, which told us that national governance and oversight arrangements remained fragmented and ambiguous, with many trust leaders still unsure where …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's conclusion, recognising the importance of clear governance. It states that the new digital strategy, due in Spring 2021, will set out a clear vision for how national digital bodies will work together and outline their distinct roles and responsibilities. The Digital Transformation Board has also already been established to ensure strategic alignment.
HM Treasury
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13
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
NHSX is not a statutory body and does not prepare financial statements for audit.
NHSX is not a statutory body and does not prepare financial statements for audit. We asked how the Department was tracking the performance of NHSX and ensuring that money was being well used given that NHSX was not audited. The …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's findings and commits to addressing them through a new digital strategy (Spring 2021), which will establish baselines, track digital maturity, collect cost/benefit data, and publish a full economic assessment of digital transformation value.
HM Treasury
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15
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
The NHS Long-Term Plan includes some challenging ambitions for digitising the NHS, including the target...
The NHS Long-Term Plan includes some challenging ambitions for digitising the NHS, including the target that all trusts reach a ’core level of digitisation’ by 2024. However, the NAO found that there was no digital implementation plan which set out …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's conclusion, recognising the importance of a clear digital strategy and implementation plan. It plans to accelerate the completion and publication of a comprehensive digital strategy and implementation plan by Spring 2021, which will set out a clear plan to digitise and connect the NHS and social care.
HM Treasury
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16
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
In response to our questions about when there would be an implementation plan, NHSX told...
In response to our questions about when there would be an implementation plan, NHSX told us that it had intended to produce a digital strategy during the first eight months of this year. It put out for consultation the vision …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion, recognising the importance of a clear digital strategy and implementation plan. It plans to accelerate the completion and publication of a comprehensive digital strategy for the entire health and social care system by Spring 2021, which will set out a clear plan to digitise and connect the NHS and social care.
HM Treasury
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17
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
The National Audit Office found that arrangements for ensuring trusts’ technology spending was consistent with...
The National Audit Office found that arrangements for ensuring trusts’ technology spending was consistent with the national strategy were still being developed.29 We asked NHSX what levers it had to influence trusts’ digital investments, and whether there were any circumstances …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's observation and states that the new digital strategy (Spring 2021) will strengthen national digital spend controls, ensure investments align with national standards, and detail intervention circumstances if local systems deviate.
HM Treasury
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18
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
Patient records are fragmented across thousands of local organisations that provide patient care, including 227...
Patient records are fragmented across thousands of local organisations that provide patient care, including 227 NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts, around 7,000 GP practices and around 18,500 adult social care providers.32 NHSX acknowledged that to deliver its digital strategy, …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion, recognising the critical importance of digital skills. The new digital strategy, due in Spring 2021, will set out a clear plan to address the digital skills gap by strengthening existing staff, attracting new talent, building a diverse workforce, and offering clear career pathways.
HM Treasury
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19
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
The Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) programme, run by NHSX, aims to create a cadre of...
The Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) programme, run by NHSX, aims to create a cadre of high-performing trusts which other trusts can follow (in particular partner trusts, known as ’fast followers’). Despite the variation between the digital maturity of trusts, the …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion, recognising the need for a comprehensive support offer for all trusts to achieve a core level of digitisation by 2024. The new digital strategy, due in Spring 2021, will set out how to achieve this by introducing clear baselines, targeting support for trusts most in need, outlining national programmes, and strengthening digital skills through training.
HM Treasury
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20
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
In our 2018 report on the WannaCry Cyber-attack on the NHS, we found that the...
In our 2018 report on the WannaCry Cyber-attack on the NHS, we found that the Department and its arm’s-length bodies were unprepared for the relatively unsophisticated WannaCry attack and had a lot of work to do to improve cyber-security for …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion, detailing NHS Digital's ongoing commitment and existing efforts to improve cyber security across the health and care system, including the Data Security Centre and various national services. They acknowledge the enduring risk and state NHS Digital will continue to strengthen defences, with a full update promised in Spring 2021.
HM Treasury
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22
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
Of the £8.1 billion estimated to be needed to deliver its digital transformation ambitions, NHSE&I...
Of the £8.1 billion estimated to be needed to deliver its digital transformation ambitions, NHSE&I expects that £5.1 billion will be funded by national bodies. This includes £2.2 billion of revenue funding, which covers day-to-day activities, and £2.9 billion of …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the implied need for clear cost/benefit understanding, stating its new digital strategy, due Spring 2021, will detail how robust cost data will be collected, and will include a commissioned economic assessment of digital transformation.
HM Treasury
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23
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
The National Audit Office found that NHSX was unclear about the whole-life costs and benefits...
The National Audit Office found that NHSX was unclear about the whole-life costs and benefits of the different approaches to digital transformation at a local level.50 For example, NHSX expected trusts to take one of three approaches to replacing their …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion, recognising the importance of understanding whole-life costs and benefits. The new digital strategy, due in Spring 2021, will detail how to achieve this through baselines, tracking digital maturity, collecting cost/benefit data, and providing tools and guidance. A full economic assessment, already commissioned, will also be published with the strategy.
HM Treasury
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24
Conclusion
Accepted
Twenty-Second Report - Digital tra…
We noted that having a clear grasp of the costs and benefits of digital transformation...
We noted that having a clear grasp of the costs and benefits of digital transformation will be essential to ensuring trusts are on board. We therefore asked what NHSX was doing to address this and help trusts see the long-term …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the importance of understanding costs and benefits, committing to a new digital strategy by Spring 2021 that will detail how robust data will be collected and include a full economic assessment to drive future investment.
HM Treasury
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