Hancock to deliver NHS transformation mission statement in Paris

Health Secretary Matt Hancock will meet with world leaders in Paris to discuss how new technologies could transform healthcare in the NHS.

Hancock will appear at the GovTech summit in Paris today alongside French president Emmanuel Macron and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, to talk about new healthcare innovations and their potential impact on patient care.

Specifically, the health secretary is expected to highlight how new advances in life sciences, genomics and artificial intelligence (AI) programmes in the UK could revolutionise patient care.

Hancock will appear on a panel at Paris City Hall titled ‘From Lab to Gov: Harnessing the power of innovation’ to discuss the importance of embracing new technological advances in health and social care – a topic proven to be high on his agenda.

Delegates from academia and representatives from the technology industry – including Microsoft and Facebook –  will also be in attendance, alongside smaller companies from the start-up industry.

Hancock is expected to say in his address to delegates: “I’ve said I’ll scour the world to find technology to improve the NHS. So as we build the most dynamic health tech ecosystem on the planet, it’s vital we work closely with our friends and neighbours.

“Britain and France have a centuries long tradition of medical collaboration and now we want to turn that into a collaboration on cutting edge health technology.”

The UK Government is due to publish an innovation strategy early next year outlining how emerging technologies could improve the country’s public services.

Oliver Dowden, cabinet office minister for implementation, will also be attendance at today’s summit in Paris, where he will promote ongoing programmes of work and discuss opportunities to collaborate with other countries around health innovations.

Dowden is expected to say: “Britain is a global leader in digital innovation, with some of the best technology companies in the world operating in this country.

“We are keen to build on that, learning from best practice, both in the UK and overseas, to ensure we deliver the best possible public services”