Statement in response to RCN press release: Digital transformation of health care will remain a pipe dream without involving nurses, RCN warns

9 Jul 2018 03:14 PM

NHS Digital’s Senior Clinical Lead and nurse Caron Swinscoe supports the Royal College of Nursing’s call to involve nurses in the digital transformation of healthcare at every opportunity.

Caron, who has enjoyed a long career in nursing herself, said: “It is absolutely right that nurses’ views and expertise should be listened to and taken on board for all the benefits of digital technology to be realised when treating patients. Understanding how work is done rather than how work is imagined to be done is vital.

“The people on the frontline need technology to work as effectively as possible whether they are in a hospital or caring for someone in their home. The only way to ensure this happens is to involve those staff, who do the work day by day, in the design, development and implementation of digital health technology. Every nurse and midwife has something to contribute to the debate.

“NHS Digital is committed to involving nurses and midwives in the work they do. We have nurses with backgrounds in all areas of care supporting our programmes, informing the way we do things and helping to build strong links with frontline staff. It’s the only way we can ensure digital health is relevant, effective and useful in the real world.

“NHS Digital backed the RCN’s ‘Every nurse an e-nurse’ campaign last year which is all about using technology to drive better ways of working. Nurses will always need to give hands-on-care, and embracing new technology means they have more time to do just that.”

To view the RCN’s Every nurse is an e-nurse campaign video click here.

You can read the RCN report here.

This is also strictly embargoed for publication until 00.01, Monday 9 July 2018.