Last week, we joined West Sussex Practice Managers at their annual conference at the South of England Showground for a seminar on Digital Innovation in Primary Care: From National Ambition to Local Delivery.
Thank you to everyone who joined the discussion with Kirstie Ingram, Digital Innovation Delivery Manager, and Matt Peach, Innovation Manager at Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex.
The session explored how national ambitions around innovation – including digital access, automation, shared care records, artificial intelligence (AI) and neighbourhood health – translate into practical priorities for general practice.
Key themes included:
- Using digital tools to reduce administrative burden and release more time for patient care
- Preparing for neighbourhood working, shared care records and the NHS App as an increasingly important digital front door
- Building strong foundations through clinical safety, information governance, digital inclusion and effective change management
- Strengthening digital capability across whole practice teams, not just specialist digital roles
A key message from the session was that digital innovation is not about adopting “shiny new technology” for its own sake. It is about solving real challenges in general practice: improving access, supporting safer workflows, enabling proactive care and helping teams manage increasing demand.
We are continuing to support shared learning across Sussex through the Digital Innovation Community of Practice, local case studies and practical resources for practices.
Resources from the session, including the slide deck, are now available on our Useful Documents page.
