Posted: 12 March 2020

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust to receive digital funding boost

The Trust is pleased to announce that it has been selected to be one of the pilot sites for the government’s new digital aspirant programme, run by NHSX.

As one of the 24 trusts listed in the First Wave Digital Aspirants, the Trust will receive a share of the £28m of funding available this year to assist with our digital transformation projects. Further funding will be made available over three years of support under the programme.

The programme aims to accelerate procurement, deployment and uptake of the technology that is needed to underpin digital transformation to help raise the bar across the NHS by making sure organisations have a core set of digital capabilities in place. 

Commenting on the announcement, Trust Chief Executive, Neil Macdonald said: “This funding will provide tangible benefits for both our patients and staff at BHT as it will allow us to put in place the digital infrastructure needed to continue to make a real difference to those for whom we care and how our staff work day-to-day. Capital investment is key, in both our physical and digital infrastructure, in order for the Trust to continue on our journey from Care Quality Commission-rated ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’.”

Balvindar Heran, Joint Strategic Director Information Assets and Digital Development Buckinghamshire County Council, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and Clinical Commissioning Group said: “This is great news. Over recent years Buckinghamshire has been one of the lowest funded trusts in terms of digital investment. We believe our plans and the groundwork we have already put in place will allow us to realise significant benefits. We truly believe we are in poll position to deliver a transformational blueprint for integrated healthcare services that flexes around the needs of local people and which sustainably supports outstanding performance.”

As one of the participating trusts in the digital aspirant programme BHT is expected to benefit from shared learning available from those participating in the current Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) programme and will also be expected to develop blueprints that other trusts nationally can follow.