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Kent patients benefiting from investment in new technology to support their care

NHS England has invested in technology that is supporting the use of a single care plan to help better care for patients with long term conditions and complex care needs in west Kent.

NHS West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has been working with local health and social care providers to improve patient care in this way through the introduction of a new electronic Care Plan Management System (CPMS) for these patients.

Having a single care plan that different healthcare professionals can view and update helps them better co-ordinate patient care and avoids duplication (such as ordering repeat tests unnecessarily and patients having to tell different health professionals the same information about their current health).

It also allows patients to work alongside their doctors and health and social care staff to manage their health more proactively, helping them to keep well and stay out of hospital.

Dr Bob Bowes, a GP at Kingswood Surgery in Tunbridge Wells and Chair of NHS West Kent CCG said, “The care plan management system allows a patient to know that their wishes and intentions can be made known to each health and social care professional involved in their care.  Care planning is an essential aspect of looking after patients who may need urgent help from local health and care services at unpredictable times and the new system we are using in west Kent gives further impetus to this important work.”

Dr Ginny Winstanley, a GP from the Hildenborough Medical Group practice, said: “The care plan management system gives us a great opportunity to share care plans between the various agencies supporting our patients, particularly out of hours.”

Commenting on the investment made through NHS England’s Estates and Technology Transformation Fund Deborah Tomalin, Director of Commissioning from NHS England’s local South East team said: “Making greater use of technology in the NHS allows different local health and care services to work together in a more efficient and joined up way, to improve patient care and give people more control over the management of their health.  I am pleased we have been able to support the work in west Kent to improve services in this way.”