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A new ‘Prevention is better than cure: our vision to help you live well for longer’ is launched by DHSC.

It’s been a busy period of announcements from the Department of Health and Social Care. We had the Vision for Digital, Data and Technology, and today the Government launches their ‘Prevention is better than cure: our vision to help you live well for longer.’  

The document sets out the government’s vision for: stopping health problems from arising in the first place; and supporting people to manage their health problems when they do arise. The mission is to ensure that people can enjoy at least five extra healthy, independent years of life by 2035 and narrowing the gap between the experience of the richest and poorest. 

techUK’s Head of Health and Social Care, Ben Moody, commented: 

“A paradigm shift in prevention and public health are vital to improving health outcomes and making health and social care more sustainable and it’s great to see the Government recognise that technology has a significant role to play in this transformation. The paper recognises the potential of remote monitoring; virtual consultations; predictive analytics and AI-empowered diagnostics. We need to put UK companies at the forefront of these opportunities by simplifying procurement and making access to life-saving data less of a minefield for innovators.” 

techUK’s Programme Manager – Local Government, Georgina Maratheftis also commented: 

“The focus on prevention is to be welcomed, and the Strategy rightly recognizes the need for an eco-system approach in getting this right. Collaboration is a key part of this which technology is intrinsically designed to foster, while digital has a vital role in delivering a more intelligent and predictive approach to helping people manage their own conditions. Local government is at the forefront in tackling some of the most complex social care and public health challenges facing our society, with many utilisng technology to do so. Hampshire, Barnet, Lancashire and Wolverhampton are using care technology to support people to remain independent at home for longer..” 

“techUK is committed to driving an eco-system of innovation. We recently bought together health, local government and industry to workshop through solutions to health ageing. Technology has the potential to help people live more independently for longer. Furthermore, our annual State of the Connected Home report outlines how technology can giving people more control over their lifestyles.” 

“We look forward to working with the Secretary of State in implementing the prevention vision and understanding how this will be implemented at the local government level.”