Paperless NHS?

The government has launched an initiative that aims to create a paperless service to provide more convenience for patients.

16:34 08 February 2016

A £4bn initiative has been launched to make NHS paperless. The budget will cover electronic records and online appointments as well as prescriptions and medications. The aim is to provide more convenience to the patients while helping doctors provide accurate, faster diagnoses.

 

Details of the funding are yet to be finalised by the Department of Health and NHS England. However, it is expected to include £1.8bn to create a paper-free NHS by removing outdated technology like fax machines, £1bn on cyber security and data consent, £750m to transform out-of-hospital care, medicines and digitize social and emergency care and £400m to build a new website, develop apps and provide free wi-fi.

 

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "We know that proper investment in IT - it's not without its pitfalls - can save time for doctors and nurses and means they can spend more time with patients," 

 

However, Labour's shadow health minister Justin Madders, said: "Rather than rehashing old announcements, Jeremy Hunt needs to be telling the public how he intends to sort out the crisis facing our NHS.”

 

"The Tories cannot hide from the fact that the NHS is going backwards on their watch.

 

"Hospital departments have become dangerously full, patients are waiting hours in A&E, and the health service is facing the worst financial crisis in a generation."