Launched today, the Greater Manchester Health and Care Digital Transformation Strategy is a shared approach to making health and care services work better for everyone.

Led by HInM on behalf of Greater Manchester’s NHS and social care partners, and shaped by the involvement of over 500 local people and professionals, the strategy explains how digital, data and technology will transform care and improve outcomes.

A key driver towards long term aims in improving the NHS, empowering citizens, and making Greater Manchester a world-leading digital city region; the strategy is based around five ambitions to help people stay well, detect illness earlier, and give them greater control over their health.

Our five ambitions are:

1. Deliver integrated co-ordinated and safe care to citizens
2. Enable staff and services to operate efficiently and productively
3. Empower citizens to manage their health and care needs
4. Understand population health needs and act upon insights
5. Accelerate research and innovation into practice, as a globally leading centre.

Alongside these ambitions, the strategy also sets out how we will achieve them, focussing activities in three areas:

• Digitise: Getting the basics right by making sure all our services are working efficiently, moving away from manual processes to the use of IT systems.
• Integrate: Connecting patients, carers, healthcare professionals and services by getting the right information to the right people in the right place
• Innovate: Delivering new technologies and building approaches that improve quality of care for everyone

“To improve care and outcomes for citizens in Greater Manchester, we must accelerate the development and deployment of digital innovation,” says Dr Gareth Thomas, Digital Innovation Director at Health Innovation Manchester and NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care.

“There is tremendous potential for Greater Manchester to become a world-leading digital city region. Through close collaboration with citizens and partners across the Greater Manchester health and care system, we have a strategy that will meet our ambitions for digital transformation, leading to enhanced efficiency and integration across services, greater understanding of our population’s needs, and improved care for everyone.”