
Almost two years ago, David Cameron announced a ?50m Challenge Fund to improve access to general practice while stimulating innovation within the primary care industry. Another ?100m was announced in September 2014, but quite frankly this is just a drop in the ocean compared to what is required to salvage patient experience in the NHS. Whether calling a practice to book an appointment or trying to do so online; finding out there is a two week waiting list is infuriating. I?ve been left pulling my hair out so often I?m surprised there?s much of it left.
Thankfully, a long overdue digital revolution is underway and it?s time for the healthcare industry to take advantage. Research shows 80 per cent of smartphone users want to interact with doctors on mobile devices. However, unless you have a far more personal relationship with your doctor than the rest of the nation, it seems almost impossible to contact clinicians digitally. With the abundance of technology available to the primary care industry, it?s quite frankly embarrassing to see the number of patients waiting longer than 36 weeks for treatment triple since 2011. Accepting this as an unfortunate truth of the healthcare sector isn?t an option. The powers that be need to step up and offer funding which facilitates the kind of service patients expect from such an important, well-respected organisation. Read more on the subject of innovation:- Four tips for businesses to be more disruptive
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