Scottish Government Debate: Adoption of Innovation in Health and Social Care

Neil Gray S6M-16777 That the Parliament believes that there are significant health and economic benefits in supporting and adopting innovation in the health and social care service; recognises the urgent and critical need for health and social care recovery and renewal to meet the changing demands on the NHS whilst protecting its founding principles of remaining in the hands of the public and free at the point of need; agrees that reform can and must be accelerated by scientific and technological innovation and that rapid national adoption of research-proven innovations are essential to drive further improvements for patients, and welcomes partnership working between Scotland’s world class academic institutions, life sciences and technology businesses, the public sector and the NHS to improve health outcomes and support a thriving economy. Sandesh Gulhane S6M-16777.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-16777 in the name of Neil Gray (Adoption of Innovation in Health and Social Care), insert at end “; acknowledges that much of the NHS’s existing IT infrastructure is outdated and suffers from interoperability issues, which harm productivity and create an additional burden on NHS staff; further acknowledges that a lack of modern, effective IT infrastructure has created challenges for GP practices and patients, including difficulties in easily booking appointments or ordering repeat prescriptions; believes that the introduction of an NHS Scotland app, a universal software architecture platform and a single shared digital patient records system to enable seamless transfer of medical information within and between NHS boards, local authorities and other care providers, would be transformational for all aspects of health and social care; understands the vast potential of artificial intelligence within health and social care to accelerate diagnosis, increase productivity and improve patient outcomes; recognises the significantly greater progress made in other parts of the UK and in European nations in developing and implementing these technologies, and considers it vital to the future of Scotland’s health and social care provision that adoption and innovation of new technologies within the sector is accelerated.” Paul Sweeney S6M-16777.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-16777 in the name of Neil Gray (Adoption of Innovation in Health and Social Care), insert at end "; regrets that the Scottish National Party administration has, after almost 18 years in office, allowed Scotland’s NHS to lag behind in adopting innovation, with end-to-end paperless and e-prescribing policies undelivered and dated medical diagnostics equipment still in use, and calls on the Scottish Government to move Scotland’s NHS and social care sector from analogue working to the digital age, starting by creating a shared care record system and empowering patients through an NHS app."