By: Ben Morling, Account Manager
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend the Health Tech Conference, which was hosted by Bruntwood in the heart of Manchester. The event was a melting pot of ideas, as leading executives in the health and medical technology sectors came together, alongside senior innovation specialists from Manchester City Council, Manchester University’s NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and Health Innovation Manchester, to discuss the most pressing topics.
With the Greater Manchester healthcare deficit set to rise to £1.9bn over the next five years, it is apparent that the need to harness digital innovation and data-driven strategies to improve efficiency has never been greater.
While there are numerous stumbling blocks to navigate in order to provide the best care to the most vulnerable people in our society, the conference brought into sharp focus the opportunities that are available for those committed to innovation, and highlighted why technology is our greatest weapon in achieving those goals.
The adoption bottleneck that is slowing progress
One of the main issues facing healthtech is the outdated procurement processes that are in place. Innovative, new technologies that could have a huge impact on improving the quality of our healthcare system are being slowed down by outdated systems that require each locality to review and sign off, whereas a centralised system would greatly improve the time it takes for new technology to be adopted.
The need to take risks
Professor Alex Frangi from the University of Manchester commented that the UK needs to take more risks when it comes to funding ideas and entrepreneurs. He found that a lot of startups move to the US to scale up due to the lack of opportunities for funding in the UK, which resulted in a lag in new technology being implemented. With only 4% of healthcare budgets allocated to things such as preventive care, it’s clear there is a need for greater investment in all areas.
Collaboration is key
A number of founders spoke of the transactional nature of the relationship between industry and the NHS, with vendors looking to sell something and the NHS contemplating whether they can afford the technology on offer, and evaluating whether the costs would be worth it. While there will always be some element of transaction between industry and healthcare, greater collaboration is needed to ensure that new technology innovators are working closely with their NHS counterparts to develop products that people need.
Listening to patients
One of the most consistent threads throughout was the drive to educate and empower patients to take more ownership of their own care through better awareness and access. It is vital that the patients are consulted through this process, in order to gain the understanding needed to innovate in a way that provides the greatest benefits to them.
While there are difficulties ahead, such as the urgent need for improvements in a failing healthcare system that faces huge financial challenges, there are opportunities for those committed to providing healthcare solutions that are well-researched and consider the needs of the patients they will be used by. With examples of new technological solutions that have saved the NHS money in the long term provided throughout the conference, it is clear that technology, and the funding and long-term strategy required to implement it, are key to improving outcomes for patients in the future.