Digital transformation within health and care is not only crucial to addressing some of the UK’s greatest problems, including the elective care backlog, staff shortages, and an ageing population, but also offers the opportunity to tackle health inequalities.
The Health and Care Act 2022 referenced the potential of digitally supported diagnoses and the use of AI to help with waiting lists and productivity, both helping to level-up under-served areas. In addition to this, the Data saves lives strategy, published June 2022, highlighted the importance of the appropriate use and sharing of health data to ensure digital tools do not exacerbate health inequalities, instead using data to prioritise population health and identify those who are most at risk of poorer health.
