This major initiative is part of a major investment in long-term conditions which will use innovative new ways of bringing better care to people and reduce reliance on hospitals.
Announcing the investment during the ‘Developing a Connected Health Economy’ conference in Belfast, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said:
“In Northern Ireland the number of people aged over 85 is expected to double over the next 20 years. This will result in more people with chronic conditions such as heart and respiratory problems. Unless we develop new ways to manage this demand, there is a real risk that our services could be overwhelmed.
“In the budget proposals announced earlier today I have secured an additional £46million over the next three years to introduce new approaches to chronic disease management. Evidence shows that when technology is used for remote monitoring of patients’ vital signs in their homes, we can intervene early when problems arise and avoid hospital admissions.
“Within three years there will be around 5,000 patients in Northern Ireland with chronic disease who will have access to a remote monitoring service for their conditions. This will be one of the largest procurements of this nature in Europe.
“The extra monies will also allow us to strengthen our community health and social care services so that they can respond quickly to patient’s needs.
A programme aimed at improving the current X-ray and imaging systems is also being introduced.
He said: “At the moment we rely heavily on film to produce diagnostic images. We need to move forward and provide modern diagnostic services.
“I can announce today that we will be introducing a new digital Picture Archiving and Communications System across Northern Ireland. This will eliminate X-rays and enable patient diagnostic images and reports to be shared electronically between Trusts and GP practices.
“This initiative will bring significant cost savings and, more importantly, will greatly improve the speed of access to clinical images. Implementation will take around 18 months and will start this summer.”
A strategy is now being developed, involving all key stakeholders, to look at how best to introduce new technologies to health and social care over the next five to seven years. This work should be completed by the end of this year.
The Minister said: “This year the NHS is celebrating its 60th anniversary year. These have been 60 years of incredible change and development during which the NHS has not lost sight of its founding principles – healthcare free at the point of contact.
“Today the Health Service faces a series of new challenges. It is only by adopting new modern approaches to care delivery that we can meet the challenges which lie ahead.”
Notes to Editors:
Media queries to Sarah Williams, DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 2841 or 07788 433 707.
