Twenty three NHS trusts will share a £160m moneypot to become the first healthcare organisations to fully embrace digital solutions and become paper-free.
The Government has announced the 16 acute and seven mental health trusts that will become Global Digital Exemplars - internationally-recognised NHS care providers who are already delivering exceptional care, efficiently, through the world-class use of digital technology and information flows, both within and beyond their organisation boundary.
They will then become reference sites for other care providers moving forward.
Information technology is increasingly recognised as a key enabler of change and transformation.
But, in secondary care in particular, the NHS is not yet realising the known benefits of investing in, and optimising, digital technology to deliver the aims outlined in the NHS Five Year Forward View.
“As a national health system we have a unique opportunity to create a digitally-advanced health and care system that will eclipse the best in the rest of the world, giving clinician’s timely access to accurate information and joining up health systems to support service redesign and improve outcomes for patients,” said a Government spokesman.
The exemplars will inspire others by showing how information technology can deliver both improved patient outcomes and business efficiencies.
They were chosen as they were already advanced in their use of technology.
The acute trusts are:
North region:
- Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
- City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust
- Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Midlands and East region:
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Luton & Dunstable University Hospital NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
London region:
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
South region:
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
The mental health exemplars are:
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust