Doctrin’s response to Therese Coffey’s ‘Plan for Patients.’

Craig Oates, UK Country Manager shares his thoughts on the ‘Plan for Patients’.

“We all recognise that the NHS is currently facing an unprecedented level of pressure and demand, with far too many clinical colleagues leaving the profession and levels of patient frustration at an all- time high. With this in mind, we welcome the commitment in the government’s Plan for Patients to make more time available for appointments by introducing digital tools and easing administrative burdens by upgrading IT systems. However, this isn’t a new commitment and existing barriers that practices face when rolling out new tech, such as a lack of digital skills among staff and patients, need to be a priority before major digital transformation can take place. We must acknowledge that change needs to be driven from the top to support staff with the transformation of care through the right training and incentives.

“Transforming how we deliver care in the NHS is a team game with patients utilising digital tools where possible so that clinicians can deliver safe and effective treatment through the correct care pathways. As suppliers, we also need to play our part to ensure we offer the latest generation of tools and solutions to enable patients and caregivers to fully embrace digi-physical care.

“We’re aware the Plan for Patients isn’t supposed to cure all the challenges facing primary care, however it’s vague – and there needs to be a focus on the details to ensure we build a digital primary care model fit for the future.

“For example, the NHS must seize opportunities to combine digital with traditional face-to-face care. This will improve access, reduce pressure on staff and ensure patients receive timely face-to-face care when needed. At Doctrin we have proven this can be done across through the use of new generation digital tools which can help reduce waiting times for non-urgent appointments from an average of five weeks to two days. Digital tools can benefit all patients – however there has to be the right balance so all patients receive care that works best for them.”