As we reach the milestone 70th anniversary of the NHS, it’s an opportunity to celebrate the fact that, thanks to our health system, we can all expect to live longer, healthier lives. In 70 years, the NHS has transformed the wellbeing of the nation: delivering medical advances and revolutionary treatments to improve public health, and is considered by many to be the envy of the world.
But, with greater financial pressures and an ageing and increasing population, the NHS model of old continues to be tested, with many questioning the long-term stability of the tax-payer funded service.
In the opinion of Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS’s former medical director, the health service is ‘our greatest innovation by far’[i] and as we celebrate the 70th anniversary, it is the application of innovative health technology solutions that will be key to securing the future of the NHS and delivering even better outcomes for patients.
Technology has a definitive and crucial role in the long-term future of the NHS, as recognised by senior government and health officials. Lord Darzi’s Review of Health and Care last month called for a comprehensive strategy for the NHS and social care system to harness 21st-century technology and innovation at pace.[ii] Furthermore, the government has recently pledged an additional £20.5 billion to the NHS over the next five years, with technology set to form a key component of the drive for productivity improvements, disease prevention and treatment.
Prime Minister Theresa May stated ‘our long-term plan for the NHS needs to view technology as more than supporting what the NHS is doing already. It must expand the boundaries of what the NHS can do in the future, in the fastest, safest and most ambitious way possible’[iii]. As we near the third decade of this millennium, society is in the midst of a health technology revolution set to change all aspects of health and wellness, from prevention to diagnosis to treatment and beyond.
Prioritising prevention
With an ever-increasing burden being placed on the NHS, preventative care has an undisputable role to play in transforming healthcare, and innovative health technology can support in fundamentally improving patient outcomes, reducing costs and improving staff experiences.
Through technology, the NHS is able to move towards a ‘prediction and prevention’ led model of care. Preventative health incorporates two core elements: health maintenance (ensuring the body is in good health which is sustained over time) and early detection (identifying disease early to increase the chances of getting the best possible outcomes from treatment).
At Philips, our technology supports the drive for disease prevention through promoting healthy behaviours and self-management. This helps to reduce the number of people requiring in-hospital treatment, ultimately freeing up resources for the NHS.
Asthma is one of the most widespread long-term conditions in the UK[iv] with 5.4 million people currently receiving treatment for the respiratory disease[v] and 185 people admitted to hospital every day in the UK due to asthma attacks[vi]. By reducing exposure to environmental triggers, patients can better control their symptoms and reduce the risk of an attack, which may require treatment and hospitalisation. The technology in our 2 in 1 Air Purifier and Humidifier helps relieve symptoms by removing common airborne allergens and alleviating discomfort, monitoring air quality and delivering real-time digital feedback.
Another example of the role that technology has to play in reducing the pressures on the NHS comes from the advancements that have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnoea. This is a common condition where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing[vii]. These interruptions can have a big impact on quality of life, while also increasing the risk of developing complex health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and possibly a stroke[viii].
Surprisingly, more than 3.4 million people in the UK are unaware they have sleep apnoea[ix] and therefore do not know that they are at risk of these more complex and serious health conditions. Prevention of these longer-term health issues involves both identifying the symptoms of sleep apnoea through early detection and supporting patients to monitor and self-manage their condition. Through our extensive research into sleep habits, we have been able to deliver The Philips Dream Family — a personalised self-management system that helps people better monitor and manage their sleep. Personalised health solutions such as this allow people to proactively take control of their health in the comfort of their home, which brings greater patient satisfaction and improved quality of life, and overall reduces the need for costly interventions from NHS healthcare services.
Technology: Transforming healthcare systems
As well as supporting and promoting health prevention, technology provides opportunities to raise efficiency and accuracy levels within the clinical setting to improve patient care and enhance our healthcare system. We are entering a time when technology is driving clinical decision making, and the application of new technologies is improving the accuracy of diagnostics.
An example is within cardiovascular disease, which continues to be one of the leading causes of death among men and women in the UK[x]. Current catheter-based techniques used in cardiovascular diagnostics and treatment, use X-ray and 3D echocardiography, and require experienced interpretation of medical images obtained from this process. The Philips EchoNavigator integrates X-ray and 3D echocardiography into one interactive interface, reducing the complexity of catheter-based treatments and giving clinicians greater insights and confidence to find and treat the problem.
In cancer services, new technologies are similarly set to transform the future of diagnosis and treatment. Recent reports suggest there will be an 80 per cent increase in the numbers of elderly in the UK being diagnosed with cancer in the next 20 years[xi]. Cancer services across the UK are already stretched and such a rise in numbers means that new infrastructures and models of care are needed to ensure the health system can meet this demand.
At Philips, we are always looking at ways to provide technology solutions that support the cancer patient and healthcare professional throughout their journeys, starting from the point of diagnosis. From reducing turnaround times to increasing accuracy, the Philips IntelliSite Digital Pathology Solution opens up a number of opportunities for the future of cancer diagnosis and management.
Reviewing a digital image rather than a glass slide can speed up turnaround times, saving both time and resources within the NHS, as pathologists are able to organise and review a large number of cases with ease and from virtually anywhere. The images can then be shared with experts anywhere in the world, creating the opportunity for a second opinion where it might not have previously been possible, using cross site collaboration to improve the diagnostic process.
The future is now
‘Innovation sits at the heart of the next 70 years of evolution, and embracing it is critical in enabling the NHS in England to deliver better outcomes for patients and help it continue to be the healthcare envy of the world.’ [www.nhs70.nhs.uk/about/nhs-future]
Technology is the key to improving the health of the individual and our population. From digital pathology which can transform cancer diagnosis and treatment to cloud-based decision support using artificial intelligence to ensure seamless data integration across specialities, the application of innovative health technologies is set to transform all aspects of the NHS healthcare system.
Be it personalised health solutions or innovative health systems, at Philips, we are supporting the NHS to deliver the best possible patient outcomes, which is why we believe that the application of newer, greater technologies is a critical factor in ensuring the success of the NHS for the next 70 years, and beyond.
For more information about Philips’ solutions, click here.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
[i] The NHS Turns 70 this year and it’s Britain’s Greatest innovation. Bruce Keogh. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/01/nhs-70-britain-medical-heath-service-penicillin-ivf
[ii] Better Health and Care for All. A 10-point-plan for the 2020. https://www.ippr.org/research/publications/better-health-and-care-for-all. Last accessed 23062018.
[iii] Government Computing. Government bets on technology – and taxes – to help solve the NHS’s problems. Government bets on technology – and taxes – to help solve the NHS’s problems Last accessed 250618
[iv] Mukherjee, M. et al., 2014. Estimating the incidence, prevalence and true cost of asthma in the UK: secondary analysis of national stand-alone and linked databases in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales—a study protocol. BMJ Journals. Accessible from: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/11/e006647
[v] Asthma UK. Asthma facts and statistics. https://www.asthma.org.uk/about/media/facts-and-statistics/. Last accessed 23062018.
[vi] Asthma UK. Asthma facts and statistics. https://www.asthma.org.uk/about/media/facts-and-statistics/. Last accessed 28062018.
[vii] NHS Choices. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obstructive-sleep-apnoea/ Last accessed 23062018.
[viii] Goldstein et al, Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of Stroke. A Guideline for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke, Stroke, Dec 5, 2010.
[ix] Philips Global Markets, Analysis and Forecasting.
[x] Public Health England. Chapter 2: major causes of death and how they have changed. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-profile-for-england/chapter-2-major-causes-of-death-and-how-they-have-changed . Last accessed 290618
[xi] BBC News. Cases of cancer in elderly set to surge by 2035. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-44548534. Last accessed 23062018.
Comments