A contract published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) reveals that McKinsey was hired to work on a review of how NHS Digital, NHSX and the NHS England/Improvement work together to drive digital transformation across the NHS.

According to the DHSC: "The review is about how we create the right conditions for the wider system to ensure that digital is always part of the conversation, mindset and culture when transforming services and ways of working."

Finishing at the end of September, the two-month contract was worth £588,000.

DHSC selected McKinsey through the Management Consultancy Services framework run by Crown Commercial Services.

WHY IT MATTERS

In July, health secretary Matt Hancock ordered the review, following the 'turbulent' NHS IT landscape and 'clumsy'  structure of national leadership.

THE LARGER CONTEXT

The review is being led by NHS Digital chair, Laura Wade-Gery who took over from Noel Gordon as chair of NHS Digital in July 2020 to drive forward an improvement strategy.

DHSC states that the role is to determine the capabilities and digital operating model across NHSD, NHSX and NHSE needed to drive the digitally enabled wider system transformation envisaged in the NHS long-term plan.

ON THE RECORD

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said “Better use of technology means better healthcare and we want to capitalise on the huge advances we’ve made in the use of technology within the NHS since the coronavirus outbreak.

“Together with NHS Digital, NHS England, NHS Improvement, NHSX and alongside the support of external specialists, we are reviewing how we can best support the NHS to accelerate the use of technology, digital and data.

“The aim is to transform and improve services, as envisaged in the NHS long-term plan, so that we respond effectively to the healthcare challenges we face.”

Healthcare IT News approached McKinsey for comment but said it did not comment on client work.  

The updated review cost was amended to £1m on 3/11/2020.