05.03.14
NHSExpo — Technology revolution on its way
Visitors at the closing day of the Health and Care Innovation Expo 2014yesterday were treated to an array of seminars, demonstrations and thought-provoking panel discussions.
During the two-day event, held at Manchester Central convention centre, the key underlying message was that “there is a technology revolution coming” in the NHS.
Sir Muir Gray, chair of the Health and Social Care Digital Service (HSCDS) at NHS England, said: “In the future the healthcare system will be shaped by three things: Citizens, Knowledge and Technology – especially smartphones.
“It is important for the future of the system that we start to imagine, plan and build it as we want it, with the best care available for patients,” he said.
Throughout the event, NHE attended several seminars – none more controversial than the care.data session, which included a panel consisting of Tim Kelsey, national director for patients and information NHS England; Dr Tony Calland, chairman of the BMA’s Medical Ethics Committee; Sarah-Jane Marsh, chief executive of Birmingham Children’s Hospital; and journalist Roy Lilley.
The panel discussed the benefits of data gathering, the need for people to be more informed about what happens with their data and how this important issue should, and could, be legislated on in the future.
However, NHSExpo 2014 wasn’t all about technology and future innovations; there was also a session looking intocreating patient-centred personalised care, another focused on commissioning now and in the future, and there was an interesting discussions about social media in healthcare.
In one session on the Community Stage, Jane Cummings, chief nursing officer of NHS England, shared her thoughts with specialist registrar, cancer patient and the ‘Hello My Name Is’ campaigner Kate Granger as they discussed what care should be given to terminally-ill patients in hospital, and patients in general.
(Image shows Kate Granger, left, with Jane Cummings)
Following this emotional discussion, the first Kate Granger Awards were presented by the campaigner herself. Dr Sophie Edwards, aconsultant geriatrician at North Middlesex University Hospitals NHS Trust, won the ‘individual’ category for her work to improve the experience of patients with dementia.
Thewinner of the Kate Granger Award for Compassionate Care in the organisational or team category was the Teenage and Young Adult Service atUniversity Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Foundation Trust, for its work with young people diagnosed with cancer.
Nicky Pettitt, Teenage Cancer Trust lead nurse at UHB, told NHE: “The award is so unexpected, but means so much to the team. We pride ourselves in thinking about the patient first and the disease second. We are absolutely thrilled.”
For full coverage from the NHSExpo, see the March/April 2014 edition of NHE. Subscribe at www.nationalhealthexecutive.com/Subscribe
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