Reducing Health Inequalities through Digital 

Reducing Health Inequalities through Digital
Reducing Health Inequalities through Digital 
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  2. Start your entry (save it in-progress).
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Addressing health inequalities remains a pressing challenge for the NHS, as disparities in health outcomes and access continue to affect various communities across the country. The 10 Year Health Plan has set an ambition to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions, and approaches such as Core20PLUS5 continue to focus attention on the most deprived communities and inclusion health groups. Yet significant gaps remain in the implementation of effective digital solutions that could foster equitable access to healthcare services.

Digital technologies can play a crucial role in bridging gaps, facilitating information exchange between the NHS and its partners, including voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, as well as local authorities. With neighbourhood health now at the heart of national policy, there is particular scope for digital to support prevention, improve access to primary and community services, and reach people with the most complex needs who are at greatest risk of unplanned admission. To make a meaningful impact, the NHS must focus on initiatives that specifically improve access for underrepresented groups, ensuring that digital tools effectively enhance health outcomes rather than deepen digital exclusion.

This category recognises digital initiatives that reduce disparities in health access, experience or outcomes between population groups and communities. Judges are looking for digital projects and services that are driving tangible improvements in access, experiences and outcomes for patients, carers, people and/or communities, particularly those who have been left behind or who feel they are not listened to. Winners will display solid evidence of co-production with patients, use of population health data to target action, and demonstrate tangible impacts on what has made a difference to communities.

Eligibility

  • All NHS organisations (including providers, partnerships, and systems), General Practice and primary care organisations.
  • Evidence must relate to a project, ongoing or completed within the 2 years up until the award entry deadline.

Ambition

The challenge and context within which your project, person or organisation is set alongside your goals and targets whether quantitative or qualitative, and how this aligns with national priorities.

  • Outline the health inequality area of concern, and the specific community or patient group this project aimed to improve access, experience and/or outcomes for.
  • Explain the project aims and what strategic thinking was done before bringing technology to the table - why was a digital solution required, and how does it align with national priorities such as Core20PLUS5 and the 10 Year Health Plan?
  • Define the intended measures of success and include detail on the benchmarks used.

Collaboration

The stakeholders' involvement in co-designing and delivering the project. How have patients, staff at all levels, communities and other parties worked together to realise the outcomes?

  • Explain how patients, carers and communities were fully engaged in the co-design, planning and implementation of the product or service.
  • Share how relevant additional internal and external stakeholders were engaged and involved in the development and implementation of the initiative e.g. VCSE organisations and local authorities, and how successfully they adopted the new product or service.
  • Describe and provide testimonial evidence of the working relationship between the technology partner (if relevant) and the NHS organisation that enabled a genuinely co-produced product or service.

Impact

The measurable benefits delivered to patients, staff, your organisation or the wider system. Provide data and evidence showing improvements to outcomes, quality, access, equity or efficiency.

  • Provide qualitative and quantitative evidence of improved patient access, experience and/or outcomes for the previously specified community or patient group, with clear before-and-after comparisons and supporting material.
  • Describe how the project was seamlessly developed and deployed whilst retaining any existing services to minimise disruption to patients and staff, and evidence any beneficial impacts on staff.
  • Demonstrate evidence that the initiative reduced a measurable disparity between the target group and the wider population.
  • Share any financial impacts of implementation, including evidence relating to value for money.

Scale

How your work has been shared, adopted or replicated beyond your immediate team or organisation. This includes dissemination through publications, presentations, toolkits, partnerships or inspiring similar initiatives elsewhere.

  • Describe, and if possible evidence, how the learnings from the project have been shared across or beyond your organisation/system, including through publications, presentations or toolkits.
  • Provide evidence of the approach being adopted or inspiring similar initiatives elsewhere.
  • Discuss the scope for further replication or scaling up of this project in other settings.

Sustainability

The potential for the project/work to continue and create lasting impact. Evidence of how it can be sustained or built upon.

  • Discuss how this digital project has provided a boost to the wider strategy for reducing health inequalities within your organisation/system, and how it will achieve long-term sustainability.
  • Describe how the project has improved patient access, experience and/or outcomes in the target group and its potential for continued impact.
  • Explain how the work is being embedded and resourced for the long term, and your plans to build on it.

Reducing Health Inequalities through Digital 

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