An HSJ and Care UK roundtable discusses some of the possibilities of greater use of digital technology in primary care

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Making greater use of digital technology in primary care is a top priority for health and social care secretary Matt Hancock – and something a lot of GPs would love to see happen.

But sometimes the barriers to using tech in general practice seem unsurmountable in an NHS which still embraces fax machines and where GPs often can’t access information about patients seen in other services. And when technological solutions do emerge they can seem disruptive and destabilising to the existing model of provision.

HSJ got together leading suppliers and entrepreneurs, GP representatives and Mr Hancock to talk about some of the possibilities of greater use of digital technology – and how these could be brought into more general use.

The roundtable participants were: 

Alastair McLellan - HSJ editor, chair

Matt Hancock – secretary of state for health and social care

Jim Easton – chief executive, Care UK

Paul Bate – director of NHS services, Babylon

Dr Murray Ellender – chief executive, eConsult

Lee Dentith – chief executive, Now Healthcare

Wais Shaifta – chief executive, Push Dr

Luke Buhl-Nielsen – UK country manager, Livi

Dr Bayju Thakar – chief executive, Doctor Care Anywhere

Mindy Daeschner – chief commercial strategy and marketing officer, DoctorLink

Dr Alexander Finlayson – academic and co-founder Nye

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, RCGP chair

Dr Richard Vautrey – BMA GPs’ committee chair

Hadley Beeman – chief technology adviser to Mr Hancock

Jeremy Taylor – chief executive National Voices