Reducing health inequalities through digital
Reducing Health Inequalities through Digital 

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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. Despite the new government's commitment to tackling these inequalities, 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. 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.

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. Winners will display solid evidence of co-production with patients 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

  • 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?
  • Define the intended measures of success and include detail the benchmarks used.

Outcome

  • Describe how the project was seamlessly developed and deployed whilst retaining any existing services to minimise disruption to patients and staff.
  • Provide qualitative and quantitative evidence of improved patient access, experience and/or outcome for the previously specified community or patient group, ideally with supporting material.
  • Share any financial impacts of implementation, including evidence relating to value for money.

Value

  • 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.
  • Evidence any beneficial impacts on staff as a result of the project. This could be quantitative or qualitative.

Involvement

  • 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.
  • Share how relevant additional internal and external stakeholders were engaged and involved in the development and implementation of the initiative e.g. VCSEs and how successfully they adopted the new product or service.
  • Explain how patients, carers and communities were fully engaged in the co-design, planning and implementation of the product or service.

Spread

  • Describe and if possible, evidence how the learnings from the project have been shared across or beyond your organisation/system.
  • Discuss the scope for further replication or scaling up of this project in other settings.

Reducing Health Inequalities through Digital 

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To find out more

Partnership opportunities:  Sponsorship Sales Team
Awards entry enquiries: Delegate Sales Team
Judging and event management: Awards Support