New £100m Funding Boost To Help Hospices Overhaul IT Systems
The government has announced a funding injection of £100m to boost adult and children’s hospices. The funds will support the upgrading of patient and visitor facilities, and also the overhaul of IT systems. This will ensure that clinicians are able to deliver the best possible quality of end of life care to patients, and improve the experience of families and loved ones.
In a press release from the Department of Health & Social Care, it is explained that a further £26m revenue funding will be made available for hospices for children and young people, which was formerly known as the Children’s Hospice Grant.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Hospices provide the care and support for patients and families at the most difficult time so it is only right they are given the financial support to provide these services.”
“This package will ensure they will be able to continue to deliver the compassionate care everyone deserves as they come to the end of their life in the best possible environment.”
How can hospices benefit from cutting-edge IT systems?
The correct IT support for healthcare facilities such as hospices is crucial to ensure that they maintain a high standard of patient care. Hospices not only need to provide reliable and compassionate care for end of life patients and their families, but they also need to manage sensitive patient data, comply with stringent regulations, and manage limited resources.
Therefore, up to date and reliable IT systems are crucial to ensure safe and efficient day to day operations. Here’s how a managed service provider can help.
Effective information management
The NHS and private healthcare organisations are transitioning towards the full implementation of electronic health records (EHR). This means that medical and care staff can access critical patient data such as medical history, care plans, and current medication in a centralised system.
This reduces the risk of errors and misunderstandings, and makes handovers between care teams easier. The patient will always have accurate and up to date records, and staff will save a considerable amount of time and labour in manual record keeping.
However, it’s essential that the IT support systems are properly maintained, because glitches or unplanned downtime could have very serious consequences for patient care. A managed IT support service will ensure that the systems are running smoothly, and any issues are picked up in the earliest possible stages before they escalate.
Enhanced cybersecurity measures
Cybersecurity is a major issue for hospices, who hold a significant amount of sensitive patient data. As cyber criminals grow more sophisticated in their methods and the threat of attacks increases daily, it’s more important than ever to have robust cyber security measures in place.
By working with a managed IT service provider, the hospice can take a proactive approach to cyber threat monitoring, and work towards achieving Cyber Essentials accreditation, the best practice for government bodies for data protection and compliance.
Assistance in procuring IT infrastructure
Hospices may not be able to run dedicated on-site IT departments, and this can make it difficult to know exactly which hardware and software would optimise the effectiveness of the hospice and be compatible with existing infrastructure.
A managed IT provider can assist with procuring the most appropriate and up to date software, helping the staff to do their jobs more efficiently and improving the overall quality of patient care.
Meeting compliance requirements
Hospices in England are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which makes regulation inspections and reports, delivering a rating that ranges from Outstanding to Requires Improvement. They must also comply with strict data protection regulations, and can face legal penalties if they fail to do so.
Professional IT support that includes regular audits, simulated security testing, and regular system updates will help the hospice to meet compliance requirements and move proactively to be ahead of any changes in the regulations.
Reducing costs
Hiring in-house IT professionals can be costly, and hospices are often operating under tight budget constraints. Therefore, outsourcing IT management to a third party can be very cost-effective, helping to put in place proactive management strategies that can help to detect issues before they become bigger and much more expensive problems.
