Opinion

Health Tech and NHS IT PR and Communications During the COVID-19 Crisis - and Beyond

Opinion Article by Susan Venables, Founder, Client Services Director, Highland Marketing
It is hard to find positives in the sudden dislocation caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus. A little over two weeks ago, the NHS was being advised to encourage people to use NHS 111 Online to get advice about the disease and to ramp up online booking and remote consultations in primary care. A week later, it was being asked to free-up 30,000 beds ahead of the suspension of all non-urgent, elective operations from 15 April.

Being Open about Open Source

Opinion Article by Shane Tickell, Chief Executive, IMS MAXIMS
IMS MAXIMS entered whole heartedly into the open source arena by releasing our code in 2014; but since then market conditions have changed. Despite this, we have not abandoned the project. In fact, we remain fully committed to it and optimistic that the new team at NHSX will recognise its value. Let me explain.

Invest a Billion for a Ten Billion Return

Opinion Article by Shane Tickell, Chief Executive, IMS MAXIMS
Recently, the Sunday papers and politics programmes were dominated by what the BBC called "a £1.8 billion cash-boost for the NHS."

From this we had learned that £850 million of this will pay for the "20 hospital upgrades" that Boris Johnson promised as he entered Number 10 Downing Street for the first time.

How can We Successfully Converge the Health and Technology Ecosystems to Create Value for Patients?

Opinion Article by Erik Janssen, VP, Innovative Solutions, Neurology, UCB Pharma.
The fourth industrial revolution is upon us and fundamentally changing the way we live, work and interact across all industries and sectors. Technological advancements such as artificial intelligence, big data, robotics and systems integration, are radically transforming the world around us, but the greatest opportunity lies within the healthcare industry, where the potential to address today's complex challenges is immense.

Regionalisation is No Silver Bullet for NHS Diagnostic Pressures - but it Must Not Fail

Opinion Article by Richard Turner, Executive Director, Change Healthcare
In the late 1990s, radiology was a very different place. Still analogue, departments relied on light boxes, and professionals performedmore specific site-based roles. At the time, I worked in the radiology department of a London hospital, and started a change programme with my hospital colleagues to shake up roles.

NHS Prescribing is Back in the Spotlight - Where Does Tech Fit?

Opinion Article by Dr Simon Hendricks, Product Innovation Manager and Clinical Strategy Lead, FDB (First Databank)
Political will for better and safer prescribing in the NHS has fast gained momentum in the last few months. With prescribing featuring prominently in the NHS Long Term Plan published in January 2019, a subsequent plan and vision from the government into antimicrobial resistance, as well as a dedicated review into over-prescribing being ordered by health and social care secretary Matt Hancock just before Christmas, now is a time for action.

Virtual Reality - the Panacea for a Growing Mental Health Crisis?

Opinion article by Barnaby Perks, CEO of Oxford VR.
The World Health Organisation puts mental illnesses among the leading causes of disease and disability in the world, with depressive disorders the fourth leading cause of global disease burden. By 2020, it expects mental health to rank second behind ischaemic heart disease.