Presentation by Catherine McShane, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Minutes:
Catherine McShane, Project Manager, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust gave a presentation on Telehealth and Darlington Healthy New Towns and the use of technology to improve health outcomes.
The presentation highlighted the single platform of services designed to integrate with local care systems so they are substitutive, not additive; the benefits of digital enablement and the development of services in Darlington to digitally improve self-management.
The Project Manager also advised Members of the up and coming work including linking with Care Connect and Electronic Patient Records, mapping out MiHealthCoach for smoking cessation in pregnancy and various patient monitoring services; outlined the challenges faced with the Healthy New Towns programme; and advised Members of the lessons that had been learnt to date.
Members were also advised about the reginal development of Health Call, a platform that allows physicians, health systems, hospitals and ancillary provides to collaborate and deliver truly patient centric care.
Discussion ensued on the presentation and Members expressed their concerns at the lack of progress to date and the challenges faced with the GP services. The Project Manager acknowledged the Members concerns and the issues that have caused some delays but confirmed that progress was being made and a good response had been received from the practices in Darlington as part of Healthy New Towns.
The Director of Commissioning, NHS Darlington CCG confirmed the local authority and the health services were working together on Healthy New Towns and community procurement and the introduction of digital technology without taking away face to face contact.
The Public Health Principal also acknowledged the work to date on digital personalised health care and confirmed that it will take time and the pressures on primary care is difficult and digital health will now work for everyone.
RESOLVED – (a) That the Project Manager be thanked for her presentation.
(b) That Members continue to receive updates on the progress of Telehealth and Healthy New Towns.