There is increasing debate about the future of the health and care system in the UK and the role that technology could play in achieving desired outcomes. In this blog we discuss some of the key implications of change within the NHS and the role that IT service provision could play in alleviating some of the pressures that NHS IT teams may face whatever direction the NHS may go in next.
Implementing change
There have been various government initiatives that have not fully taken off as intended and it begs the question why? The idea of implementing change isn’t new, but more often than not it is done badly despite numerous reviews, lessons learned and blueprints for success. To enact change, something either has to stop, or a new way of working has to be adopted, invariably the result of this is the need to find additional resources and herein lies the fundamental problem the NHS has.
Resource issues are not unique to the NHS but are painfully felt as their impact is far reaching and far more damaging. This latest BBC article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64448354 discusses the potential for creating thousands of extra hospital beds and hundreds of ambulances, but what impact will that have on NHS IT teams and how will they manage the additional work it creates?
With a 5 year high in the NHS vacancies in England, a figure of around 130,000 jobs, and in just the last 12 months over 34,000 nurses leaving their role in the NHS, IT teams all over the UK are dealing with the ongoing coming and going of staff and their consequent IT requirements. Resource gaps are evident and with the heavy burden of asset management, account creation/deletion, licensing, rebuilding of assets and lifecycle management , who’s looking after cyber security?
Could this be the reason why so many ‘schemes’ and ‘programmes’ fail to reach their true potential, because the supporting people, processes and technologies are just not robust enough to cope?
What can they do to mitigate this?
Outsource IT services
Outsourcing in the NHS has a mixed reputation and means something different to different people. We here at Quadris talk about a Managed IT Service where services are provided to predefined outcomes working in partnership with the NHS.
For example, Managed Device includes all the computer equipment, applications, phones, and peripherals that people need to carry out their work. All they need to do is login, connect to the internet and they are ready to start.
Managed Security Services can mitigate the risk of cyber-attacks and can be up and ready to go in no time at all.
Optimise existing technology
Rather than buying something new, the NHS could learn to make better use of what they already have. For example, optimising virtual desktop implementations (VDI) so that log on times are faster and the user experience is the same as running a local version.
Benefits of Managed IT Services
Facilitate new projects and technologies
With the IT pressures created by new hires and leavers in the safe hands of a company like Quadris, this leaves NHS IT teams free to work on new projects and technologies being proposed in the Governments plan for NHS England https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nhs-to-expand-services-to-keep-vulnerable-out-of-hospital
Peer guidance and support for NHS IT Teams
Supporting any of the initiatives within the plan will not only involve the building of new laptops, desktops and installations in new locations, but will also pose lots of other questions relating to infrastructure and security. With a Managed Infrastructure and Security Service from Quadris, this will ensure these questions are not an after-thought and that the necessary IT services will be quickly and easily established with support from IT professionals.
Optimal solution usage
Considerations around user experience, security, storage, performance, networking, back up and impact to the environment are all things that should be considered with any new IT purchases. An understanding from an organisation such as Quadris is vital in maintaining their effectiveness with existing systems and applications. Quadris’ managed infrastructure service can be tailored to suit an organisation’s specific requirements.
Increase knowledge and skill based of NHS employees
Managed Services from Quadris are based on partnerships, where we work collaboratively with the NHS teams, helping to upskill and provide knowledge and awareness to IT staff so that they have a better understanding of new technologies, processes and procedures which can be applied in other areas of their work.
The role of managed services in the future
Quadris believes that Managed Service has a role to play in not only helping NHS IT teams to meet the challenges and demands of today but also to help enable them to transform and meet the challenges and demands of tomorrow. With strong, effective partnerships where everyone plays to their strengthens to achieve agreed outcomes we can implement change successfully.
Without changing the way IT Services are provisions how will NHS IT be able to effectively support change?
Please get in touch with the Quadris team if you think we can help.
