I attended a very interesting workshop today on iHealth, an EPSRC-funded project. Academics from Imperial College (Institute of Bioengineering, Department of Primary Care & Social Medicine, Department of Computing, Business School, Division of Surgery, Oncology, Reproductive Medicine & Anaesthesia) presented work from a pilot project in which we examined the use of information technology and electronic patient records to optimise chronic disease management.
NHS budgets are under considerable pressure. It is therefore unsurprising that many NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) In England will aim to prioritise price in contract awards, But this approach is a significant threat to community-centred healthcare. While competitive tendering is a legally required, an excessive focus on costs in awarding NHS contracts risks overshadowing key factors such as established community trust, local expertise, and the long-term impact on continuity of care. This shift towards cheaper, often external, commercial providers threatens to cut the links between communities and their local health services. The argument that competitive tendering is solely about legal compliance, and not cost, is undermined by the very nature of such tendering, which by design encourages the lowest bid. This approach risks eroding the social fabric of local healthcare provision, where established relationships and understanding of specific community needs are essential. Establishe...
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