NHS will embrace innovations as long as they fit

Web content editor Ian Bolland offered his thoughts on the relationship between innovation and the NHS after attending the NHS Health and Care Innovation Expo earlier this month.

New innovations should be welcomed, championed and encouraged but they should only be adopted if they serve a purpose – this has been the sentiment in the medtech and digital health space for some time, and highlighted on my visit to the recent NHS Health and Care Innovation Expo.

It was summed up nicely during a panel discussion chaired by the chief executive of the recently established NHSX, Matthew Gould.

Panellist Ayesha Rahim, a psychiatrist and clinical lead for technology in mental health in a community trust in Lancashire, said: “I often go to other clinical services and meet with staff on the ground and I never hear: ‘Ayesha, do you know what we need? We really need some AI in our service. We need some virtual reality in our service.”

Undoubtedly, it shows there is technology with real potential that can be used in the sector but engagement before adoption feels essential – whether that’s with the end user or the clinician.

Gould highlighted it himself: “As I’ve gone across the system and got to know the healthtech sector, I’ve seen an extraordinary amount of innovation. People inside the system, staff – clinical and non-clinical, people outside the system from startups to the world’s biggest companies doing amazing things, having amazing ideas and we need to make sure there is a proper platform for that.

“My sense, increasingly, is the problem is not one of innovation, it’s one of adoption. And we need to make sure we create the right platform for the innovation, and the adoption to happen.”

Perhaps the conundrum the NHS faces is how to balance staff and patient interaction with new technology, and how it can be adopted in a relatively hassle-free manner?

From several conversations I’ve had in the past 11 months it seems there's a willingness to adopt innovation as long as it’s the right innovation.

Sheldon Steed, founder of diabetes communication app Mumo, said it would be smart for NHSX to be a customer of startups to facilitate a marketplace where hyper local purchasing can be enabled so they can access the solutions they need. It would be easier if they see a problem and come up with a solution, rather than just a sophisticated piece of kit which doesn’t serve a purpose.

AI and virtual reality are the glamorous side of healthcare technology, but they need to serve a purpose. If there’s an appropriate use for them, they should be welcomed. Personally, I’ve used a virtual reality trainer to see how it can rehabilitate the cognitive functions of recovering stroke patients at the University of Chester, without the physical exertion. This is a clear, tangible example of how the whistles and bells of technological advancements can be put to practical use. 

One accusation that may be levelled at Matt Hancock soon after arriving at the department of health and social care was he was so keen on new technology that there were one or two examples when it’s not appropriate.

As well as the slogans of ‘purging the pager’ and ‘axing the fax,’ he stated in his video address that starting from January, technology providers will have to show their systems are interoperable, secure and easily upgradable or they won’t be receiving a contract.

Interoperability is a key issue that came up a lot during my conversations on the Expo floor in Manchester. It was also the subject of our recent MedTalk Podcast interview with Dr Ian Henderson from Refero.

One hopes Hancock’s target isn’t too ambitious that it will be missed but I can’t help but be sceptical. Maybe targets like this aren’t so helpful.

Prior to chairing his panel session, Gould set out five missions for NHSX: relieving clinician burden, putting information and services directly into the hands of citizens, patient data that can be safely and securely accessed, improving patient safety and helping the NHS improve outcomes.

If the NHS is going to achieve these targets innovations need to be adopted at the right pace through education so they can be used properly, rather than forced upon them which can risk resistance to adoption. Dialogue and education – as well as inevitable funding – will be key for innovations playing a part in those ambitions being realised.