UK finance minister promises NHS £3.4B IT investment to unlock £35B savings
- Reference: 1709809652
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/03/07/uk_finance_minister_promises_nhs/
- Source link:
Speaking as he presented the nation's budget yesterday, Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor of the exchequer, [1]told the UK Parliament : "The investment needed to modernise NHS IT systems so they are as good as the best in the world costs £3.4 billion. But it helps unlock £35 billion ($44 billion) of savings, ten times that amount."
In [2]a document released with the budget [PDF], the government set out its Public Sector Productivity Programme, which includes the NHS IT spending spree.
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It says the spending would double investment in the NHS's "technological and digital transformation," including upgrading vital MRI scanners and rolling out universal electronic patient records.
It's time to celebrate the abysmal efforts to go paperless in the NHS [4]READ MORE
The government claimed the spending would help the NHS — one of the world's largest healthcare organizations — deal with the challenges caused by the pandemic, as well as the fact that investment is lagging the reality of health economics, by cutting the time that frontline workers must spend on administrative tasks.
"This will help unlock £35 billion in cumulative productivity savings from 2025-26 to 2029-30," the document claims.
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The broader public services productivity programme would see £800 million ($1.02 billion) spent in return for £1.8 billion ($2.3 billion) in benefits over the forecast period, it said. But departments getting the money have to "develop detailed productivity plans, building on their work to date," it said.
In the NHS, the government claimed the additional investment in technology would "significantly reduce the 13 million hours of time doctors spend on poor IT, freeing up significant capacity and revolutionizing treatment for a range of illnesses such as cancer and strokes."
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"This investment in NHS technology will be central to a wider NHS productivity plan, including workforce productivity improvements set out in the long term workforce plan," it said.
With the IT investment, Hunt said the NHS would commit to 1.9 percent average productivity growth from 2025-26 to 2029-30, rising to 2 percent over the final two years.
Within the £3.4 billion ($4.34 billion), he earmarked £430 million ($548 million) to "transform access and services for patients, giving them more choice and the ability to manage and attend appointments virtually, and enabling £2.5 billion [$3.19 billion] savings over five years."
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"This will not only make it easier for people to access the NHS, but it will also help to tackle waiting lists, reduce waiting times and ensure patients get the care they need more quickly," the budget document says.
The vision for a more tech-enabled NHS includes making the NHS App the "single front door through which patients can access NHS services and manage their care" and, in doing so, theoretically reduce up to 500,000 missed appointments.
The NHS App would also have a role in prevention by introducing a new digital health check to help people at high risk of early onset conditions to be "identified early." It would also help them access vaccination or screening appointments.
AI GP letters might become a thing
The plan includes a pilot project to test the ability of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automate back office functions. “By automating the writing and clinical coding of notes, discharge summaries and GP letters, clinicians will be able to spend more time with patients at more appointments," the document says.
The government also reckons it would provide "an acceleration" of the controversial Federated Data Platform (FDP) to bring together operational and data from the Integrated Care Systems, which manage healthcare on a regional basis across health disciplines. "Amongst other benefits, the NHS estimates the FDP could enable a 10 percent improvement in theatre utilisation, freeing up consultants to do an extra 200,000 operations procedures a year."
The [9]£330 million ($420 million) contract for the FDP was awarded to Palantir at the end of a chain of events which began when the US spy-tech company agreed to work for the NHS for £1 at the height of the pandemic. Before the final contract award — which NHS England said was made via fair and open competition — Palantir was awarded £60 million ($75 million) in uncontested contracts for related work. The FDP is subject to two legal cases from patient privacy and legal campaigners.
Lastly, the government says all NHS Trusts would have Electronic Patient Records by March 2026, "ending reliance on outdated physical paper records across the system and ensuring patients can easily access records across all NHS systems."
Reasonable readers might find it impossible to take in the news without recalling that 11 years ago, while serving as the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government's health minister, [10]Hunt "challenged" the NHS to go paperless by 2018.
"This means that in the vast majority of cases, whether a patient needs a GP, hospital or a care home, the professionals involved in their care can see their history at the touch of a button and share crucial information," he said at the time.
[11]Oracle Cerner system implementation risks future patient deaths, coroner warns
[12]Legal campaigners challenge UK.gov decision to redact NHS-Palantir contract
[13]'Exemplar' digital hospitals trust hit by multiple tech-related traumas
[14]UK public sector could save £20B by swerving mega-projects and more, claims chief auditor
It should be noted that the opposition Labour Party has also been tempted by the [15]promise that a "fully digital NHS" could "totally reframe the NHS and how it operates, and save money ."
Efforts to make electronic patient records ubiquitous through the complex maze of organizations, specialisms and professions that make up the NHS [16]have a long history , dating back at least to the disastrous £10 billion (c $13.7 billion) National Programme for IT, the contracts for which were awarded under a Labour government around 20 years ago. Maybe if the NHS waits another 20 years, it might just reach its paperless promised land. Or maybe it will still be 20 years away. ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/spring-budget-2024-speech
[2] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65e8578eb559930011ade2cb/E03057752_HMT_Spring_Budget_Mar_24_Web_Accessible__2_.pdf
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZenywM0SVtuT7XcQwnXuTwAAAQM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/05/pick_your_year_its_time/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZenywM0SVtuT7XcQwnXuTwAAAQM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZenywM0SVtuT7XcQwnXuTwAAAQM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZenywM0SVtuT7XcQwnXuTwAAAQM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZenywM0SVtuT7XcQwnXuTwAAAQM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/22/palantir_wins_nhs_contract/
[10] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jeremy-hunt-challenges-nhs-to-go-paperless-by-2018
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/29/oracle_cerner_coroner_report/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/20/legal_campaigners_challenge_government_decision/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/31/digital_hospitals_trust_uk_tech_trouble/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/dolphins_not_whales_will_help/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/23/starmer_nhs_it/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/05/pick_your_year_its_time/
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Ah yes, Mr Hunt...
Would that be the same Mr Hunt, who, as his first job as Health Minister, changed the NHS management structure so that instead of only one region being in the red, they all were. Then blamed "inefficiency" on the sudden fall from grace rather, than his own miguided imposition of extra red tape with no extra funding to cover it.
Pepperidge farm remembers... though, arguably sadly, the voters don't.
Re: Ah yes, Mr Hunt...
Mr Hunt, I think James Naughtie said it best.
Cynical? Me?
If it's a 10x RoI then why haven't they done it before, instead of waiting until just before a general election? If they'd started 5 years ago, before inflation hit, then it would have cost a lot less and would have delivered the savings sooner.
What's also not clear is whether this is £3.5B for a £1B planned project spend plus overruns or whether it's an HS2 £3.5B which will spend £2B getting nowhere before forecasting an unaffordable overrun of £5B and then be cancelled.
Re: Cynical? Me?
I think the key word here is "potential", as in if we fritter away £999,999,999 on pointless consultants, then stick that last quid on a horse with odds of 3.5 billion to 1, it could potentially win us £3.5B
Monopoly
With usual suspects having de facto monopoly for supplying services thanks to IR35 changes (and being exempt from them) they can charge the tax payer to the moon and deliver nothing.
This corrupt government cannot go soon enough.
automating the writing and clinical coding of notes, discharge summaries and GP letters
Have they never heard of templates? You know, standard letters and notes where the computer just has to put in the patient's name and address? This is not something that requires AI, and the risk of it generating inaccurate info is far too high to start using it right now when it comes to something as important as patient health.
Re: automating the writing and clinical coding of notes, discharge summaries and GP letters
No, this must be AI so the suppliers can inflate the costs and nobody is going to question it. Because you know it's AI, magic, best thing since sliced bread, our saviour.
Re: automating the writing and clinical coding of notes, discharge summaries and GP letters
Automating, or templating notes and letters is something the hospital I worked at has been doing for years... I think it's called "the bleeding obvious". What might help the NHS more is funding OAP care properly, funding mental health care properly and other social services so the beds can be emptied for people who will actually benefit from being there.
How long will it take for them to see that cuts save money on one are but cost more in another? Cur mental health spending saves a bit in one area but it's a lot more expensive when the police have to pick up the slack as they're not trained or equipped for the role... to take one example.
Don't believe the hype
This is just more "cutting waste" bullshit on steroids as the examples make clear. We've now got 40 years of IT to look back on and it's clear to most that, while productivity has increased, costs generally have not been reduced. When e-commerce was the next thing™ I remember someone from IBM sagely noting that, while it would improve processes, it probably wouldn't save costs. This was packaged up in the neat slogan "work smarter, not harder", which is one of the better ones of the last few decades.
Also, given the size of the NHS and proposed duration, this can't really count as investment. No, it'll probably just be the usual creative accounting with budgets for, I don't know, pandemic protection being run down or research projects not being renewed.
Re: Don't believe the hype
Likely there will be a case when during a rollout, the NHS staff will have to do double entries - in legacy system and in the new system. That will be even more burden. Then you will have problems with data reconciliation.
Potential for massive disaster and more strain on the NHS especially if done by usual suspects with poor delivery record.
Zero sum game
"costs £3.4 billion but it helps unlock £35 billion"
It's a large-scale, government funded project, so will obviously end up costing 10x the original budget, so that leaves you with a modest saving...probably enough to cover the costs of the Public Accounts Committee enquiry into why it went 10x over budget and to issue a statement about lessons learned, yadda yadda yadda...
Re: Zero sum game
Oh the Public Accounts Committee. Aren't they ranked the second after the chocolate teapot in terms of usefulness?
Re: Zero sum game
Just ahead of the Office of Budget Responsibilty.
Re: Zero sum game
The OBR isn't that bad; it's just that it's too easy to ignore. Other countries have courts that do deal with spending SNAFUs.
Re: Zero sum game
Other countries have courts that do deal with spending SNAFUs.
...and we have the Minister For Administrative Affairs
Re: Zero sum game
They are utterly useless. Like they take numbers from HMRC without even questioning their validity.
I remember how successful previous NHS IT efforts have been. £10 billion wasted on one that was finally cancelled. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/18/nhs-records-system-10bn
One person waste is another person yacht...
Tory Go Vermin is NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE
I've said it before and I'm saying it again, the folding money will only go the the IT favourites, Palantir, ATOS, Capita, Microshaft, Amazon. Did I miss someone ? Ah, yes Oracle! Here we go again, let's build an IT system not fir for purpose, then we get to re-invent the IT wheel in another 10 years or so of over budget and under delivery.
Please tell me exactly how this world wonder health system will include ANY of the complimentary health practices, lie chiropractics, homeopathy, herbalisms including the use of the politically repugmant cannabis for skin cancer treatment, ADHD. Psilocybin and lions mane for treating depression, etc.
What we will have is another generous gift of sweeties to the American pharmacey/insurance fascists. Maybe our Tory twats have shares in these edifices of serious IT blunder ? Maybe it's the rich twats who fund the Tory Party who have the shares ? Who gives a rats arse. It wasn't the lack of an IT system that caused 5 year wait to get on an NHS dentists panel, 4 x attempts over 5 years to hopefully get an ADHD assessment, still waiting, etc...etc...
Just give the Tories the UK's purse strings and 2p deductions in Tax and Employment Insurance should keep the Goggle Box watching British in their places, queueing...........
Don't make me laugh, I just broke a couple of ribs, and after being advised by 111 to attend the A&E I saved them an ambulance 4hours wait by getting myself there at 6pm. 4 hours later, I am told there is 7 to 8 hour wait to see a doctor. I have had a basic examination to satisfy that I will last 7 to 8 hours in the waiting room and decide to go home without an X-ray, just in case they decide at 6am that I need to stay in hospital. If I am going to die from broken ribs, I'd prefer to be at home with my family rather knowing that I'm going to die whilst waiting in A&E.
It's the continued lack of spending on dentists, doctors and nurses, not the massive free gifts to American companies that is killing the NHS. Think of all the money them Tories will make when we all have to go private in order to get ANY treatment.
ALF not convinced...........
Re: Tory Go Vermin is NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE
Oi! I watch Goggle Box & I resemble that remark!
Re: Tory Go Vermin is NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE
Did I miss someone ?
Fushitesu, Infocyst...
Re: Tory Go Vermin is NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE
In fairness, I don't think you can only accuse Tories when it comes to this sort of thing - the other arse-cheek will likely be just as bad...
Same old chicanery
Late last year, in a weak moment I signed up for allowing my data to be used for NHS research projects because it seemed like A Good Thing To Do. This was after ferreting round the available online information because I wanted to know about the currently running research projects and see what new problems & diseases the combined data of us all could fix. All looked good, though I was a little surprised that there were apparently no current research projects running and there was no information at all about the Federated Database - but at least Palantir seemed not to be involved.
Then two days later I saw a note saying that the new all singing, all dancing NHS Federated Database was just the Palantir-provided COVID tracking database with a new coat of paint.
So, remembering all the dodgy things that outfit has done, i.e. the BREXIT shenanigans, it was the work of a moment to cancel my link to the NHS Federated Whatsit, though I do wonder if they kept their word about not using my data: the NHS blurb said that they would only use data about signed-up citizens and would delete data about anybody leaving the project.
Re: Same old chicanery
[1]UK Biobank
[1] https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/
Paperless by 2018??
Palantir in 2024??
Your government pound sterling at work!!!
Ministers in SW1 in bed with Peter Thiel????
Fortnum and Masons shopping bags full of "folding"????
U-g-g-h-h-h-h-h-h-h!!!!