While the NHS always seems to be at the centre of social and political debate, the level of conflict seems to intensify whenever the Conservatives are in power.
Most recently, the discussion has focused on the age-old topic of privatisation, with some arguing that the government is selling off the NHS piecemeal and by stealth.
The flipside of this debate is that the incumbent government is simply securing private investment for the NHS in a bid to improve and modernise the quality of service provided to patients, primarily through the development and application of technology.
Although this debate will continue at length, there’s no doubt that technological advancement is have a direct impact on the health of patients in the UK. Here’s how:
The Story so far – Electronic Records and Technology-enabled Care
While we’ve only really scratched at the surface of how technology can boost patient’s health, recent developments have had a significant impact in both the public and private sectors.
At the heart of this is the development of viable and accessible networks, through which various mobile devices and healthcare professionals are connected in real-time. Take the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN), for example, which has been developed by redcentric and has been expertly engineered to provide reliable and rapid connectivity for all end users.
This allows for the more efficient collation and sharing of data between alternative healthcare professionals, with electronic patient records and real-time updates available for review across any connected device. Not only is the network fast, secure and immutable, but it also offers an extremely cost-effective data transfer and storage solution for the NHS.
On a similar note, this type of vast and secure network allows for remote monitoring and video consultations between numerous devices, affording greater flexibility to patients and enabling the speedy delivery of care.
On the subject of technology enabled care (TEC), this refers to the integration of devices and sensors into patients homes to allow for remote monitoring. Including a number of smart devices that support independent living (such as alarm systems, fall detectors and glucose or blood pressure sensors), these devices can be connected through mobile apps and easily accessed by designated users and healthcare professionals.
This is already improving the quality of patient care outside of the hospital, and ensuring that vulnerable citizens are safeguarded at all times.
The Last Word
With these points in mind, there’s no doubt that technology is revolutionising healthcare in the public sector.
So, although the future of the NHS as a nationalised service may be under threat, patients are at least feeling the short-term benefits of modernisation and technological evolution.
In the future, we may also see technologies such as blockchain trigger further evolution in the sector, as this could create even more efficient record keeping through the use of immutable and decentralised ledgers. This could certainly reduce human error, while creating a sense of accountability among healthcare professionals nationwide.
