Health Data: Research and Analysis
Debate between Lord Kamall and Lord Evans of Rainow
Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)
I am sorry to say that I do not agree with the premise of the noble Baroness’s question. Improving patient outcomes through new technology or improved drugs requires the use of NHS data. Therefore, to make the best and most responsible use of the data that they hold, the NHS and social care systems need to work in partnership with a wide range of organisations, including commercial ones.
Lord Kamall (Con)
My noble friend will be aware that successive Health Ministers have tried to digitise the whole health and care system and have faced a number of difficulties. One has been that GPs and some trusts believe that the data is theirs and they do not have confidence in sharing it nationally. Furthermore, many parts of our social care system are not adequately digitised to be able to share data. What is the latest on that, and what are the Government doing to encourage more digitisation of the whole health and social care system?
Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)
My Lords, I refer to my initial Answer. The whole point of the Government’s digitisation strategy is to take it from GPs and primary care into hospitals, in trusts throughout the United Kingdom. I am aware of individual trusts or GPs that have yet to get up to speed with digital technology, but I reassure the House that this strategy will take on the areas that are yet to be digitised—but this is a very good news story and a very good strategy that will improve outcomes for all patients in the United Kingdom.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Immunisation Programme
Debate between Lord Kamall and Lord Evans of Rainow
Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)
I refer to the answer I gave just a moment ago: 7.7 million people have received their flu jabs since the start of the campaign on 11 September. I assure the noble Lord that NHS England has planned well ahead of this winter season, and I believe that we are making progress. But there may be cases where it could and should be done better.
Lord Kamall (Con)
My Lords, following up the question from the noble Baroness, Lady Armstrong, the first issue is making vaccines available, the second is letting people know that they are available, and the third is making sure that groups that have traditionally been vaccine hesitant are reached. What have we learned from previous programmes to make sure that we can reach those groups, particularly those from ethnic minorities and others, who are slow in coming forward for their vaccines?
Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)
My noble friend makes a good point. Lessons have been learned that certain communities are more hesitant. There is a case-by-case basis for communicating with community leaders for those communities, and on social media. Not everybody follows social media, so we have to look at other ways to communicate—through letters and texts, and of course including social media but also by word of mouth, ensuring that those hard-to-reach communities take up the immunisation programme.