Pulse PCN’s roundtable on digital transformation

Pulse PCN’s latest roundtable on digital transformation discusses how technology has the potential to change everything and how PCNs are navigating this.

The latest roundtable brings together five PCN leaders from across England to discuss how PCNs are making the most of new technology and the challenges they are facing.

Digital transformation has been identified by the health secretary Wes Streeting as the shift that would have the biggest impact on the NHS if it were to be delivered in this Parliament.

The latest data shows there are 398 (headcount) digital transformation leads employed by PCNs in England.

PCN leaders discuss how these leads are making an impact on networks across the country, what challenges they’ve faced so far and what opportunities are presented by the boom in new digital technologies.

They agreed that there were big opportunities within digital transformation, including the development of AI.

Dr Neil Paul, clinical director of SMASH PCN, Cheshire, said: ‘It’s difficult to overestimate the impact that AI is going to have, with people like Bill Gates saying you might not need doctors in five to 10 years. And yet it’s easy to underestimate the effect AI will have locally.’

However, there were concerns around the financial support for these systems.

Dr John Lynch, clinical director at North West Ipswich PCN, Suffolk, said: ‘We’ve got to be realistic. We’re not going to get any money for this – not in the short term, at least. So, one of the criteria that we look at when we’re in our digital group is whether [tools are] cost effective.’

Pulse PCN deputy editor Beth Gault says: ‘Digital transformation presents a huge opportunity for PCNs across the country who are facing high demand and stretched capacity.

‘In this roundtable clinical directors had a fascinating discussion on digital transformation, which is a key element of the new 10 year plan. In this informative debate leaders laid out the challenges of implementing change across PCNs and how they are harnessing these developments. It also highlighted the opportunities that digital could bring to the primary care space and the wider NHS.’

Pulse PCN’s quarterly roundtables examine the core issues facing PCNs, the tasks they must deliver as part of the PCN Network DES and the work of the additional roles reimbursement scheme (ARRS) staff they have hired into primary care.

Read 17 thought-provoking roundtables covering areas such as health inequalities, ARRS GPs, structured medication reviews and early cancer diagnosis led by clinical directors from across England.

Pulse PCN’s roundtable series is part of our comprehensive offering for our community of PCN clinical directors and their teams. And they are hosted on the dedicated Pulse PCN site making it easier to access these great clinician-led debates.

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