NHSX is working on a new programme aimed at accelerating the UK-wide adoption of digital records by social care providers.
Due to launch in April 2021, the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), will give social care providers access to a list of supplier solutions assured as fully compliant with the relevant interoperability, data and cyber security standards.
NHSX will also provide buyers guidance, developed with the sector, to help social care providers to identify the best value solution that is right for them.
The organisation has previously pointed to the slow progress in making use of digital records in the social care sector, stating in September that 30% of providers are still using entirely paper-based systems and another 30% only partially digitised.
In response, it is working closely with the sector and software suppliers to iteratively develop an independent and robust evidence base.
Setting out the benefits of digital social care records, it said this will help providers to value the impact these solutions can have on the daily lives of people receiving care, care workers and care managers.
Natalie James, programme manager at NHSX, said in a recent blog post that digital social care records will play an important role in joining up care across social care and the NHS, freeing up time spent by care workers and managers on administrative tasks whilst equipping them with the information they need to deliver care.
She added: “The adoption of a digital social care record will support social care providers to capture real-time information, view relevant information from the NHS record and enable more effective quality management. But this is only the start of the journey.
“The universal adoption of digital social care record solutions, across the social care sector, has the potential to transform care outcomes. It’s the platform on which other remote care tools can integrate. It’s a new source of data for shared care records, to enable more sophisticated population health management and a greater personalisation of care planning that focuses on the individual.”
Over the coming months NHSX said it will continue to work closely with the social care sector, software suppliers and our partner organisations, including the Care Quality Commission and Local Government Association to help shape the programme.
