Agenda item

The report is provided in accordance with System Capability - Digital, a key system enabler in the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

Witnesses:

Katherine Church - Chief Digital Officer (Surrey Heartlands ICS) and Joint Strategic Chief Digital Officer (SCC)

Key points raised in the discussion:

1.    The Chief Digital Officer (Surrey Heartlands ICS) and Joint Strategic Chief Digital Officer (SCC) introduced the report noting:

·         the reasons for the recommendations which included a recognition of the importance of the need for continued partnership working, the focus on transparent citizen engagement, tackling digital exclusion ensuring that no one is left behind and the development of the Digital Inclusion Strategy.

·         an overview of the digital ambitions across six workstreams, highlighting the challenge of condensing the focus of the work as digital was a key enabler to many of the transformation programmes across Surrey:

-       Workstream One - Digital first primary care/healthy neighbourhoods: to further digitise health and social care to deepen citizen engagement, capitalising on virtual consultations, looking at systems for remote modern monitoring around a number of long-term conditions such as diabetes and hypertension for prevention and management, as well as signposting residents to providers.

-       Workstream Two - Children’s digital programme: governed by the multi-agency Children’s Strategic Group, utilising insights gained last summer from practitioners on the barriers to coordinated working such as disconnectedness of services and information. Key projects included the emotional health and wellbeing programme with the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and integrating health and care records through the Surrey Care Record.

-       Workstream Three - Adults’ Digital Programme: using integrated technology to enable people to live their best lives, promoting independence through focusing on digital projects such as Enabling You with Technology and supporting the Palliative and End of Life Care (PEoLC) Strategy.

-       Workstream Four - Shared data and shared records: joining medical and care records across providers in Surrey Heartlands via the Surrey Care Record. Usage and views had increased over ten percent per month and with future savings of time and money, it was an NHS core deliverable with Surrey ahead of the national schedule.

-       Workstream Five - Digital infrastructure and one public estate: the move to enabling teams to work more closely together such as through joint commissioning across organisations, such as the programme with Surrey County Council’s Digital Infrastructure Strategy. As well as enabling integrated working across estates.

-       Workstream Six - Digital inclusion: recognising that all of the programmes above would only deliver their benefits if Surrey’s residents had the digital skills they needed to fully participate - currently 200,000 residents in Surrey were digitally excluded. Research over the past six months to identify those individuals would be used through a programme identifying localised services, working with several large-scale partners in the voluntary sector.

·         there were gaps to be addressed in the development of the Digital Inclusion Strategy, which would be collated in a detailed action plan to come back to the September Board.

2. A Board member asked whether work was underway concerning digital safety and security, focusing on addressing online health misinformation.

-       In response the Chief Digital Officer (Surrey Heartlands ICS) and Joint Strategic Chief Digital Officer (SCC) noted that although there was not a specific topic on the above, citizen engagement would be embedded into each of the digital programmes through working closely with Healthwatch Surrey and the Communications team (SCC) - she was happy to liaise with the Board member on the gap.

RESOLVED:

That the relevant Proper Officer(s) in consultation with the Chairman:

1.    The significant digital capabilities being delivered across the system as part of Restoration and Recovery and the need for partnership working be noted.

2.    The need for more joined up communication of digital across partners and a greater focus on citizen engagement at every level be supported.

3.    The ongoing data analysis and insights regarding digital exclusion given its relationship to health inequalities be supported.

4.    The development of a Digital Inclusion Strategy, as requested by the ICS System Board be supported.

Actions/further information to be provided:

1.    That once developed the detailed action plan concerning the Digital Inclusion Strategy, will be brought to the September Board meeting.

2.    The Chief Digital Officer (Surrey Heartlands ICS) and Joint Strategic Chief Digital Officer (SCC) will liaise with the Board member (VCFS representative) concerning the gap on digital safety and security, with a focus on addressing online health misinformation.