Forward looking

Digital health transformation was on everyone’s minds at the HETT North event, which took place at the Manchester Central Convention Complex in the last week of February.

© Hemming Group

© Hemming Group

The event attracted more than 1,000 attendees who were able to explore the latest innovations in dedicated zones, engage in thought-provoking roundtable discussions, and network with industry leaders.

HETT North's conference schedule featured more than 100 expert speakers providing more than 30 hours of CPD content covering topics such as cybersecurity, bridging the knowledge gap, geospatial technology, and the NHS data infrastructure.

The exhibition featured 50 suppliers including Amazon Business, Brother, Dell Technologies, Epson, Multiverse, NEC Software Solutions, NHS Innovation Accelerator, NHS Shared Business Services, Ricoh, Trustmarque, and UK Digital Health and Care.

Karin Smyth, minister of state for health and secondary care, made a special address to the show. She told attendees: ‘As everyone in this room will know, digital transformation and technology are critical to the future of the NHS. That's why one of the three big shifts in our 10-Year Health Plan is from analogue to digital, where we will harness the digital revolution for the benefit of patients and staff. 

‘We're investing more than £2bn in NHS technology and digital to run essential services and drive NHS productivity improvements to free up staff time, ensure all trusts have KPIs improve cyber security and enhance patient access through the NHS app. 

‘Across the health and care sector, there are examples of digital transformation making a positive impact on services, allowing our frontline staff to be more productive. The federated data platform is a powerful example of real improvements in outcomes for patients that can come from better use of local information. It's been piloted in over 40 trusts across England and delivered measurable improvements.'

Next year's HETT North event takes place on 5 March at Liverpool ACC.

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