Over 90% of NHS leaders see IT as a promising opportunity for the NHS over the next ten years, a poll for the NHS Confederation has found.
NHS Confederation surveyed over 200 senior NHS officials ahead of its conference last week, and asked them to identify threats and opportunities to the NHS.
The poll found 103 respondents (51%) saw new IT as a major opportunity to the NHS, with a further 80 (40%) seeing it as a minor opportunity.
63% of respondents also said it was not a threat to the future of the NHS over the next decade.
However, in a separate question, respondents were asked to rate the top three most important things to their trust. Connecting for Health was only prioritised by 2% of respondents, with the majority of these placing the National Programme for IT in third place.
Just one respondent placed it as their number one priority. Five respondents made it their second priority, and six their third priority.
Telemedicine was also seen an opportunity for the NHS over the next decade, with 93% identifying it as a promising development over the next decade.
Of the responses, 95 (45%) saw it as a major opportunity, 101 (48%) as a minor opportunity, and 159 (80%) as not a threat.
NHS Confederation chairman Bryan Stoten, said: “As NHS leaders we believe markets are important but quality and safety trump everything. I concur completely – these must be right at the heart of our improvement agenda.
“Market reforms combined with innovation are likely to increase the pace of change. The danger of continuous change is burn-out so we will need to work hard at supporting staff and ensuring that the change agenda is being driven by them. We want the dynamism to come from within the service.”
New technology was also welcomed by the NHS leaders as an opportunity for the next ten years.
The poll found 93% saw it as an opportunity with 123 (59%) and 72 (34%) thought it was a minor opportunity. Almost 70% (137 respondents) said it was not a threat.
The main threats were identified as a possible economic downturn, rising prices and further structural change.
Stoten said: “NHS leaders are understandably cynical about reassurances from the government and political parties around structural change.”
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