Industry news in brief

Our latest industry round-up features a survey from Roche which suggests that the majority of young people want to see the NHS introduce digital solutions. Elsewhere, Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (KGH) has selected Ingenica Solutions for an inventory management contract.

Majority of young people want to see the NHS introduce digital solutions

A survey of people aged between 16 and 24 has revealed more than 80% of them want to see the NHS introduce digital solutions.

The research, released by Roche, also revealed nearly two thirds (63%) of young people would be comfortable with a chatbot giving them a diagnosis when they are ill, compared to just over one in three (38%) for those over 55.

Furthermore, over half of those surveyed in the younger age bracket (56%) would also rather receive advice from their GP or clinical pharmacist via an app or website than face-to-face (44%).

Rachel Power, CEO at the Patients Association, said: “Generation Z will drag the NHS into a digital era whether it’s ready or not, so it should get used to the idea, and brace itself for a period of technological disruption, driven by patients.”

Bupa to extend Babylon offering to thousands of SMEs

Health insurer Bupa is extending its partnership with Babylon Health to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK.

From 1 January, all of Bupa’s SME customers will be offered access to the Babylon app – which allows patients to access a GP via a call or video consultation, 365 days a year.

The announcement follows the success of Bupa launching Babylon to its corporate customers in June.

Mark Allan, Commercial Director, Bupa UK Insurance said: “Our business customers often say it’s hard to find the time to look after their health, this is even more apparent for employees or owners of a small company.

“We’re always looking for ways to make access to quality healthcare easier and more convenient – extending our work with Babylon is a key part of this.”

Intouch with Health and Strata Health team up

Intouch with Health has announced a new collaboration with global patient transition technology company, Strata Health.

The collaboration is intended to accelerate patient access to the most appropriate care when they land in accident and emergency departments in the UK.

Clint Schick, managing director at Strata Health, said: “As we approach winter flu season, A&E resources are under strain to provide timely triage and services as visits to A&E increase.

“We have joined with Intouch with Health, to combine Strata’s intelligent patient resource matching technology with Intouch’s industry-leading patient-facing kiosk, registration and triage solutions.

“This will allow patients to be optimally streamed to the care they really need, often avoiding A&E interventions completely.”

Kettering General Hospital selects Ingenica Solutions for inventory management contract

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (KGH) has selected Ingenica Solutions for an inventory management contract.

The contract will see implementation of Ingenica Solutions’ 360 IM across the entire trust to track and trace inventory to the patient level and help  determine what products have been used, when, where, and on which patients.

Tanya Lane, head of procurement at the trust said, “We were impressed by the depth and breadth of functionality of the solution.

“We listened to the views of other trusts that already work with Ingenica Solutions, which provided us with confidence that we have selected a strong provider with a compelling track record of successful implementations and proven returns on investment.”

XenZone adds to clinical and evaluation expertise with two appointments

Digital mental health pioneer XenZone has announced two director appointments as the organisation adds to its clinical capability.

Dr Lynne Green joins as clinical director, while Aaron Sefi moves within XenZone to become research and evaluation director.

XenZone offers a number of online services for young people, including Kooth, a mental health and wellbeing platform.

XenZone CEO, Zoë Blake, said: “The appointments of Lynne and Aaron represent two key pillars of our future vision – expanding our services to deliver a lifetime of mental health; and building a strong evidence base for digital mental health for the benefit of the whole mental health community, those in need of support and those working to commission services.”