Matt Hancock has been confirmed as a keynote speaker for Digital Health Rewired.
Initially scheduled for Tuesday 16 March, the secretary for state for health and social care will now be making his live video address and Q&A on Thursday 18 march at the Digital Transformation Summit.
His speech comes at a pivotal moment for the NHS IT and digital health community, which has played a critical role in helping the NHS respond to the challenges of Covid-19, including dramatic switches to remote care and working, and supporting the national vaccination programme.
It comes among reports of NHSX merging into a ‘transformation directorate’ with other national organisations, and a government white paper which included plans to introduce legislature which would ensure every part of England would be covered by an ICS in a bid to ensure more joined-up care, better integration, and reduced bureaucracy.
Hancock, who has been health secretary since 2018, has long been an advocate for the use of technology in healthcare with campaigns to ‘axe the fax’ and ‘purge the pager’.
His tech plan, published in 2018, outlined aims for the use of digital technology in health and social care, including the removal of outdated and obstructive NHS IT systems and promotion of “open standards, secure identity and interoperability”.
Digital Health Rewired 2021 is the must-attend virtual festival celebrating the best of digital health and care, taking place across 15-19 March 2021.
Get a flavour of Rewired 2021 from the video below.