NHS APP AND eCONSULT PARTNERSHIP

NHS Digital has integrated the eConsult digital triaging service into the NHS App to aid online consultations. The service, which included an ‘Ask your GP for advice’ module and is already used at around a quarter of NHS surgeries in England, presents the patient with a series of clinically validated questions in order to ascertain next steps. This information is then assessed by a GP who follows up with an appropriate consultation.

The newly integrated service will enable GPs to triage and treat patients online, ensuring those who are in most urgent need of care are adequately prioritised. With national figures suggesting upwards of 70% of patients do not require a physical consultation following digital triage, eConsult will limit unnecessary risk of spreading COVID-19 by privileging remote appointments.

LIVI EXPANDS IN NORTH ENGLAND

Livi has announced three new NHS partnerships in the North of England that will connect more than one million people to its services. Livi, which is the UK arm of Europe’s largest digital healthcare provider Kry, will now be partnered with South and East Leeds GP group, OneMedicalGroup of Yorkshire and City Healthcare Partnership in Hull.

Livi has seen 534% growth over the last year and is now available in five of the seven major regions in England. As studies have shown that the North-East of England is currently one of the areas most severely affected by the pandemic, Livi hopes to relieve the burden on the NHS by expanding access to digital healthcare solutions. Livi has also expanded operations with the NCIS Federation in Surrey and South Downs Health and Care in Sussex.

HOSPIFY IN NHS APPS LIBRARY

Hospify, the first secure clinical messaging app to be added to the NHS Apps Library, has been made available to more than 10,000 staff members working at London North West University NHS trust. The app, which was approved for the apps library by NHS Digital in early March, has been rolled-out at the trust to help staff communicate with one another more effectively whilst maintaining social distancing recommendations, enabling more effective patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sonia Patel, CIO at the trust and newly appointed CIO at NHSX, said: “Hospify’s approved messaging app provides our people with a critical communication channel at what is an extraordinarily challenging time. Rolling-out this service not only helps our teams to communicate at a time when normal interactions are more challenging but is a step in a wider strategy to improve our digital offering to all health and social care staff.”

SANOFI APPOINTS NEW CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER

Global biopharmaceutical company Sanofi has appointed Arnaud Robert as the new dedicated chief digital officer in part of a company overhaul by the new CEO Paul Hudson. The appointment of Robert, whose job will be to drive Sanofi’s digital, data and technology strategy, comes in the wake of former chief digital officer and chief medical officer Ameet Nathwani’s departure from the company last June.

Hudson’s company restructure has intended to streamline processes and stay in line with big pharma companies who are also turning to digital technology to improve their offerings for health professionals and patients. Other new appointments include Natalie Bickford as chief people officer, Julie Van Ongevalle as head of consumer healthcare and Thomas Triomphe as head of Sanofi Pasteur. 

FREE SCHEDULING APPS FOR NHS

BookingLive is offering a suite of apps for free to help the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Software-as-a-Service company’s COVID-19 digital transformation booking and scheduling solution package aims to support health workers to navigate the challenges that the ‘new normal’ presents in healthcare. The customisable system allows for the consolidation of facilities, people and goods, enabling their prioritisation.

The package includes, among others: the Virus Appointment Scheduling System, which enables the scheduling of a range of COVID-19 tests, whether via mobile testing teams, doorstop visits or at a testing centre; the Volunteer, Staff, PPE & Resource Emergency Online Booking & Management Solution, which enables citizens and organisations to upload their volunteering opportunities and available resources to help the NHS appropriately allocate staff and resources where they are most needed; and the Childcare Booking Solution, a resource to connect NHS staff with available childcare options.