South Swindon MP Robert Buckland has welcomed news that Swindon will receive a share of the £40.3million Government funding awarded in the South West of England to improve technology within the NHS.
In his first major speech since taking post last week, Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, announced the funding as part of a half a billion pound national package, available immediately to the NHS, to rollout innovative tech aimed at improving efficiency, enhancing patient safety and helping more patients access health services at home.
Under initial plans for the funding, the South West is to receive up to £40.3million over three years until 2020/21, broken down into £10.1m for 2018/19, £9.03m for 2019/20, and £22.1m for 2020/21.
The funding will be allocated to Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships and the regional breakdown over the three year period for Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire will be around £6.26m.
Robert Buckland MP said:
“This is excellent news for our local NHS service. The new technology will improve care for patients as well as making life easier for our NHS staff.
“I also welcome the new Health and Social Care Secretary’s three early priorities - technology, the health and care workforce and prevention.
“It is crucial that our NHS staff feel valued. The sense of duty and public service that motivates you to go into health and care is one of the things that makes the NHS the great institution that it is.”
Health Secretary, Matt Hancock explained:
“For too long, decisions on health and care have seemed to involve a trade-off – improving patient outcomes at the expense of placing ever more pressure on staff, while reducing the demands on staff has been seen to have an impact on patient care.
“Technology and data innovation offers an opportunity to move past this binary approach.”
The Government will launch a consultation exercise on workforce issues shortly, looking at issues including bullying and harassment and diversity.
The Health and Social Care Secretary will also convene a panel of a panel of clinical and professional advisers, from a cross-section of the NHS and social care workforce, to advise on issues affecting staff.