Digital is a key enabler to successfully deliver the Joint Forward Plan strategic priorities. Digital Innovation gives us an opportunity to improve patient care and increase efficiency, whilst supporting the wider strategic aims and objectives of the system.
Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to accelerate the implementation of digital solutions to provide care, in some cases, this unfortunately led to an increase of digital exclusion within some patient cohorts. It is our duty of care to ensure that we do not inadvertently increase digital exclusion through the implementation of technologies and must ensure that we seek to reduce existing inequalities by working collaboratively with our system partner organisations and local communities.
Our ambition for a digitally enabled Black Country NHS is to coordinate a system wide digital programme, ensuring our staff members and partner organisation have access to the digital facilities to not only achieve our strategic priorities but do so in a way in which addresses digital inequalities, maximises innovation in both the organisation and delivery of care, and provides our workforce with an efficient working environment.
A three-year Digital Roadmap has been developed with key milestones for delivery of the ICS Digital Strategy.
