Improvements in efficiency are required throughout the NHS to release the funds needed for future investment in patient services. The pressures are significant. While progress has been made - an overall net revenue surplus of £510 million - 22% of NHS organisations ended up 2006/7 still in debt and unable to balance their books.
Significant savings can be achieved by trusts sharing and rationalising back office services such as finance, human resources and ICT. However, one of the greatest opportunities to achieve savings is by ensuring more efficient use of staff time.
Improving staff efficiency, re-engineering business processes and developing new models of health service delivery are critical components of NHS plans to invest in and deliver innovative services. Improved efficiency and outcomes in the health service will also depend on standardising best practice and effectively sharing and utilising clinical knowledge.
A cost-efficient future
Through implementing state-of-the-art IT infrastructure solutions enabling innovative services, BT is at the forefront of the drive to improve NHS efficiency. Our solutions enable the NHS to make the best use of resources, more efficiently use staff time and release much needed funds to front line service provision.
Eliminating waste
Many NHS trusts are already taking advantage of converged network architecture to improve internal processes and deliver enhanced services such as a dedicated intranet site. By leveraging such technology the NHS is able to eliminate wasteful and inefficient paper-based processes and take advantage of mobile applications.
Find out how BT can help you to get the most from your IT and networking systems.
Increasing mobility - increasing efficiency
Through introducing mobile and flexible working, existing NHS services staff are able to work much more efficiently. Mobile working improves productivity and flexibility, helps enhance work/life balance and has a positive impact on recruitment and staff retention.
Flexible Working
Our experience
BT has itself already undergone comparable reform to that being implemented throughout the NHS. In the space of three years it has realised in excess of £1 billion in benefits through using IT to eliminate wasteful processes. As a key player in the National Programme for Information Technology, BT is using its own experience to transform previously inefficient processes and create a health service fit for the 21st century.