[Manchester, UK] The Department of Health has now confirmed that 18 NHS trusts will take part in the fast follower scheme, each receiving up to £5m that will have to be matched to increase their levels of digital maturity.

BJ-HC reported earlier this year that Salford Royal NHS FT, Global Digital Exemplar (GDE), had nominated Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, West Suffolk NHS FT had recommended Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS FT and Oxford University Hospitals NHS FT had put forward Royal Berkshire NHS FT.

Other announcements include confirmation that mental health exemplars will also team up with up to seven mental health fast followers that will each receive up to £3m to be matched by the trust.

Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust and Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust were the only two GDEs to get two fast followers. Graham Evans, Chief Information and Technology Officer at North Tees and Hartlepool Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, told BJ-HC back in June the organisation had filed an expression of interest to become a fast follower to the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen GDE, which has now been confirmed.

£100,000 MyNHS open data challenge to be launched

Further announcements will be made in the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s speech tomorrow at the Health and Care Innovation Expo in Manchester, who is expected to say:

“If the NHS is going to be the safest, highest quality healthcare system in the world we need to do technology better (…).

“People should be able to access their own medical records 24/7, show their full medical history to anyone they choose and book basic services like GP appointments or repeat prescriptions online.

“I do not underestimate the challenge of getting there - but if we do it will be the best possible 70th birthday present from the NHS to its patients.”

The Department of Health is also set to launch this week a consultation to discuss further areas that could be included in the CQC ratings system, while the Health Secretary will launch the £100,000 MyNHS open data challenge to reward some of the most creative digital tools for healthcare services.  

Imelda Redmond, Healthwatch England National Director, said the vision set out is a ‘huge step forward’ in moving towards a ‘modern NHS’.