A transformation in patient care

There were a number of responses when staff were asked about their views on the Long Term Plan - including placing a greater focus on mental health and cancer care. But plans also emerged for helping the service to run more smoothly in general. One outcome was a strategy that promised to fundamentally change the way patients access NHS services, with an increased reliance on video link appointments.

By 2024, it's hoped up to a third of hospital outpatient consultations will be carried out via video link. There are already a number of medical services offering healthcare via video conferencing. From private companies to an NHS app helping patients access GP appointments from the comfort of their own home, end-users (and healthcare practitioners) are slowly adapting to the idea.

If this can be successfully realised, patients could be seen more efficiently, saving time and costs in an organisation that desperately needs more of both. Meanwhile, patients can also benefit, with no need to travel, pay parking charges, or take significant time out of their day.

Obviously, there are numerous conditions that it wouldn't be appropriate to treat via video link. But it also wouldn't be appropriate for appointments to be fragmented, disjointed or interrupted - all of which could happen, if the NHS doesn't have the right connectivity solution to support the new plans.

Digital foundations for the long-term plan

As it stands, many healthcare providers are battling with legacy networks, which aren't fit for the demands of modern, data-intensive applications. For video appointments to work effectively, NHS trusts have to make sure they have robust data services in place, whether that's a converged voice and data option, a Unified Communications service integrating all platforms, or an underlying data network sufficient for the demands placed upon it. With experience supporting NHS trusts around the country, a provider like Gamma can advise on the best connectivity solution for any organisation.

Not only will investing in high-performing data services help deliver the Long Term Plan, they can also ensure that healthcare is able to change with the times. For example, more and more services are being delivered via smartphone. Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, predicts that 'in the NHS of the future, for many conditions you're going to get NHS support direct from your smartphone or wearable device'. Having the right foundations in place to support this has never been more important.

The new face of the NHS

In time, video appointments (for both hospitals and GPs) will become a standard part of NHS care. Of course, there will always be barriers to such radical transformation - both patients and medical staff can be wary of this sort of change, and there's no denying the irreplaceable quality of human touch and face-to-face contact. But it isn't a case of replacing in-person appointments. Instead, it's a matter of supplementing and complementing existing systems. With that in mind, connectivity shouldn't be a hurdle to delivering the NHS of the future - instead, it should be the very thing that enables it.

Connectivity is crucial to keeping the public sector running smoothly. Find out more about how your organisation could benefit with our eGuide.

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Gamma Communications plc published this content on 28 February 2019 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 28 February 2019 12:45:06 UTC