DigiHealth UK: Delivering Digital Transformation

Registration and Coffee in the Networking Area

Chair’s Opening Address

Keynote Address

• Lisa Hollins, Head of Digital Innovation, NHSX (confirmed)

NHSX is the central unit set up by the Department of Health and Social Care tasked with transforming NHS technology and bring traditional models of healthcare into the digital age. NHSX allows patients and clinicians to benefit from the latest digital innovations, systems and technology, with a view to driving the most advanced health and care service in the world to diagnose diseases earlier, free-up staff time and empower patients to take greater control of their own healthcare.

COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated the uptake and application of digital technologies in healthcare - the conference keynote will address how NHSX will continue to drive digital transformation at pace.

• Di Bullman, Workstream Lead, Digital Readiness Programme, Health Education England (confirmed)

Digital capacity is growing exponentially - initiatives such as the NHS Long Term Plan are driving ambitious digital transformations, whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has forced adoption of digital technologies by necessity. What are we doing to ensure NHS staff are equipped with the necessary skills to harness new innovations? What training will NHS staff receive to equip them with new digital skills, enabling them to embrace a technologically driven culture conceived to support the delivery of world-class care, free-up staff time, diagnose earlier and empower patients to take greater control of their own healthcare?

Main Sponsor

Question and Answer Session

Coffee in the Networking Area

• Eleonora Harwich, Director of Research, Reform (confirmed)

The government’s industrial strategy paper set out the Artificial Intelligence and Data Grand Challenge; the mission is to utilise data flow, artificial intelligence, machine learning and innovation to transform the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases by 2030. To support this ambition, the government has announced a £250 million fund for a National Artificial Intelligence Lab with the aim of making the UK a world leader in AI and genomic medicine.

• Dr Sunita Sharma, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (confirmed)

Every year approximately 700,000 women give birth in England and Wales - the majority of these births take place in NHS hospitals. NHS surveys demonstrate that 50% of women report delay(s) in postnatal discharge from hospital; the digital postnatal discharge system has been co-designed to enhance system efficiencies, improve communications between team members, women and families.

Case Study

Case Study synopsis coming soon...

Case Study

This slot is reserved for organisations looking to engage delegates with services and opportunities that compliment conference presentation and discussion panel topics. If you're interested in delivering a Case Study, contact us on 0161 376 9007.

Question and Answer Session

Lunch in the Networking Area

We'll be working with venues to ensure lunch at our events is as delicious as ever and caters for a range of dietary preferences - whilst being served in a safe and seamless manner. Some of the new measures we will be introducing to this effect are:

• One-way queuing systems with safe distancing in operation.
• Individual snacking bags containing fruit, trail mix and sweets provided on arrival - this will prevent people mixing around snack bars during networking breaks.
• Individually portioned dishes and pre-sealed cutlery will be served at collection points.  

Where possible, we will request food is sourced locally to reduce food miles, use seasonal vegetables, red tractor certified meat and eggs from free range hens. We cater for all dietary requirements, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten/dairy-free; just notify us ahead of time should you have any allergens or requirements.  

Chair’s Afternoon Address

• Charles Lowe, Managing Director, Digital Health and Care Alliance (confirmed)

This presentation will cover:

• The many interventions involved in digital health implementation
• Why most people digital health pilots don't work
• The importance of buy-in from both health professional users and patients
• Key pointers to success

Debate: Digital Immunity Passports

Immunity passports are digital tools that authenticate a person's health status, including their COVID-19 status and vaccination records - providing a guarantee they are 'fit to fly', so to speak. Under the 'Vaccine Credential Initiative' global big tech organisations and state health platforms have undertaken joint-work on digital immunity passports in anticipation of international government agencies requiring proof of vaccination(s) upon entering a country.

In the UK, biometric companies have announced trials of their own vaccination passport. Upon administering a vaccine, clinicians would be able to create an online certificate using a smart phone or tablet (via an app). The vaccine recipient will then upload a picture of themselves to the electronic certificate in order to verify themselves when proof of vaccination is required. When somebody wishes to access their vaccination certificate they will need to verify their face against the image of themselves stored on the electronic 'passport'. The certificate does not include name(s), address, NHS number or any other identifying information. It is understandable in modern times that people turn to digital technology in order to facilitate liberation from lockdowns and counter-COVID measures; but do we want to live in a world where immunity passports are normalized? This debate will explore the pros and cons of immunity passports, including:

• The social risks that immunity passports present, the obvious being a route to exclusion and discrimination; as well as more opaque issues - what could be the consequence(s) of employers or law enforcement gaining powers to view immunity passports. 
• Experts have warned of the security dangers inherent in using bar/QR codes in COVID test certificates/immunity passports as they are susceptible to cloning and hacking, putting sensitive information at risk. Will health passports be built on privacy frameworks that allow the end user to choose what information is included and ensure the data is safeguarded?
• Can existing NHS infrastructure be extended to immunity passports in order to enable healthcare professionals to provide accreditation securely given the rise in illegitimate vaccine invitations exploited by scammers?
• Should immunity passports cease post-COVID? The 'digital identity industry' existed prior to the pandemic, conversations hailing the necessity of ID Cards and digital identity systems have been creeping into public discourse over time; to ensure immunity passports are developed as a genuine solution to risks presented by the pandemic, particularly travel - not a trojan horse for further infringements on people's privacy and freedoms - should immunity passports have a 'shelf-life' that expires after the pandemic?

• David Hodnett, Head of Operations, NHS App Organisation, NHS Digital (confirmed)

This presentation will take delegates on a journey charting the history of the NHS app - from early-stage research to a product used comfortably by over 250,000 people within a year. David Hodnett, Head of Operations for the NHS App will discuss how it has grown, impart best practices for creating and implementing an app for use in healthcare settings and present delegates with the App's agenda over the next 12 months.

Afternoon Refreshment Break

Case Study

This slot is reserved for organisations looking to engage delegates with services and opportunities that compliment conference presentation and discussion panel topics. If you're interested in delivering a Case Study, contact us on 0161 376 9007.

Data, employed correctly, can empower patients to take greater control of their healthcare from a remote setting, increase efficiency in the healthcare system, reduce costs and improve public health. To truly benefit from its potential, data interoperability - the secure exchange of electronic health information across technology systems - needs to be established.

• Dr Mike Whiteside, CCIO and Acute Medical Consultant , Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (confirmed)

Presentation synopsis coming soon...

Question and Answer Session

Chair’s Closing Remarks and Conference Close