Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the findings of a study led by the University of Manchester, published in Nursing Standard on 9 May, on nurses’ adoption and use of digital technology during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what plans they have to improve access for nursing staff to efficient, effective and reliable digital infrastructure.

No formal consideration has been given to these findings. However, in June 2022, we set out our plans to digitally transform the National Health Service in ‘A plan for digital health and social care’, which is available in an online-only format. By March 2025, constituent organisations of an integrated care system should have ensured all health and social care settings have the right infrastructure and connectivity to work digitally.

There are programmes in place to support NHS staff build their digital literacy, including the Florence Nightingale Foundation Digital Scholarship. The Scholarship is an introduction to the knowledge needed by digital nurses and midwives, with Health Education England having funded over 40 scholarship places.