Hunt names 12 'digital excellence' trusts in line for funding

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Twelve trusts will receive funding of up to £10m each to fast track digital innovation
Twenty more trusts to receive up to £5m to act as national digital champions
Initiative comes as response to Wachter review published today

Jeremy Hunt is today due to name 12 trusts that will “deliver pioneering approaches to digital services” as he looks to “fast track” technology implementation in the NHS.

Jeremy Hunt

Each trust will receive up to £10m to act as “global exemplars” of digital technology. The funding is intended to enable them to invest in technology and infrastructure, improve staff training and create a “new generation” of chief clinical information officers, to speed up advances in digital technology. Each trust will also be partnered with an international organisation of their choice to help learn from their digital expertise.

Speaking at the Health and Care Innovation Expo in Manchester later today, the health secretary is expected to announce the 12 “global exemplar” trusts are:

City Hospitals Sunderland Foundation Trust
Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals Trust
Salford Royal Hospitals Trust
Wirral University Teaching Hospital FT
University Hospitals Birmingham FT
Luton and Dunstable University Hospital Trust
West Suffolk FT
Royal Free London FT
Oxford University Hospitals FT
Taunton and Somerset FT
University Hospitals Bristol FT
University Hospitals Southampton FT

The 12 were chosen from a shortlist of 26 trusts compiled by NHS England in August.

Further funding of up to £5m each will be available for 20 other trusts to act as “national exemplars” and improve the use of digital technology throughout their organisation. Universities will also be invited to host a new NHS “digital academy” to help train staff to deliver digital healthcare. Further announcements on which trusts and universities will be involved are expected in coming weeks.

The initiative is in response to a review of NHS technology by US clinician Professor Bob Wachter, published today.

Other measures in response to the review include a reboot and rebrand of NHS Choices as NHS.UK, which will allow patients to register with a GP, order prescriptions and book appointments from one site.

Mr Hunt is also expected to announce improvements in the data and accessibility of online personal health records and the MyNHS website; a new 111 online “triage” service; and NHS approved health apps.