Collaboration across IT infrastructure will be a significant challenge for Devon health care providers, as they look to meet the goals agreed in the Devon STP (Sustainability and Transformation Plan). Only with a plan to embrace shared infrastructure, can the NHS in Devon achieve sufficient return-on-investment to step toward meeting its goals by 2021.
Devon creating IT efficiencies
Catering for the Devon population, the NHS finds itself facing increasing demands, as people are living longer and more than 280,000 local people have one or more long-term conditions. The STP’s focus is to improve the care offered across the county, to ensure equality, and increase the care in the community, with a focus on prevention.
The NHS’ IT services have a fundamental role to play as the STP looks for cost efficiencies and increasing productivity across Trusts, CSUs and CCGs. With effective and maintained IT infrastructure in place, significant improvements can be made in the cost effectiveness per head of the population.
Equally, productivity can be improved with systems to effectively manage staff and access management, removing any inefficient repetition of work, and ensuring those workers refocus on a value-add role, or saving the NHS additional staffing costs.
However, collaboration is at the centre of increased patient care and cost reduction and Devon’s STP recognises its importance stating that they ‘support formal collaboration’ and are committed to investing in IM&T systems that support workforce sustainability and demonstrate return on investment.
United infrastructure approach
By building a shared infrastructure, Trusts can benefit from economies-of-scale, as well as delivering consistency across the management and administration of user services. Uniting NHS services, across geographically close Trusts, CSUs and CCGs, encourages the sharing of technology and information to the advantage of all the services.
Additional cost savings can be made by reducing the core infrastructure and service management costs by combining these functions. The Devon STP outlined key elements that align to this proven model, with goals to empower an effective, productive workforce, that supports economic growth, and is resilient.
To achieve sustainability and transformation, supporting wider Devon NHS goals, collaboration on IT infrastructure and systems is essential for a modern, financially aware NHS.
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