The Government’s new ‘What Good Looks Like’ (WGLL) framework is all about the changes and procedures the NHS can make to improve efficiency and healthcare through digital transformation.
The programme lists several measures to help stakeholders evaluate their local NHS trust against. As such, everyone should be able to see the condition it’s in: where it’s doing well and where improvements still need to be made. Read the full framework here.
It’s hoped that these guidelines, targets and expectations will maintain the digital transformation momentum gathered during the Covid-19 pandemic, improving the NHS across the board.
Here, we take a look at the new framework and what it might mean for NHS Trusts, hospitals and other healthcare settings across the country.
Why does the NHS need the WGLL framework?
Up to fairly recently, the UK Government’s public sector organisations, including the NHS, have lagged far behind the private sector in terms of digital transformation. On a worldwide front, it’s been average at best.
Without digital transformation, a public body – regardless of its size or political power – can’t expect to function as anywhere near as quickly and effectively as a digitally mature organisation.
The NHS has struggled due to a few persistent problems, including lack of funding and unaware leadership to name just two.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced almost everyone in the developed world to rely on digital technologies. In the NHS, cloud-based systems were introduced for both patients and staff alike.
It’s hoped that the momentum built during the pandemic will continue long past Covid.
The WGLL framework aims to tackle the NHS’s persistent problems, mentioned above, by providing a set of targets at which individual NHS organisations can aim, and what successfully implementing and using them looks like.
Who is the new framework for?
The WGLL framework is explicitly targeted at NHS leadership.
A leader can then begin implementing these strategies and working towards its targets. They’re expected to communicate with their system provider to fuel developments in digital transformation while also organising training for NHS employees, patients and other end-users.
Through the example of a leader, the rest of an organisation will follow. This example provides staff with confidence and excitement at the unmistakable advances, and these attitudes will pass onto patients and other stakeholders.
All these things drive digital transformation, which is the base building block towards improving constituents’ lives.
What does the WGLL framework use to evaluate digital maturity?
There are seven measures of success in the WGLL framework. These measures define how to implement modern technology in the workplace for the better. NHS leaders will have access to specialised assessments, through which they can check their organisation’s digital maturity using the framework, including:
- Well-led– the WGLL framework identifies strong leadership as essential to digital transformation. They’ll build, develop and continuously upgrade systems based on the end-user’s needs and perspectives, taking everyone’s views into account. Significantly, they’ll also actively promote and encourage digital transformation, taking accountability for its implementation.
- Ensure smart foundations– the technical expertise behind digital transformation is the first building block. NHS leaders should look to build skilled, diverse teams with the resources necessary to develop these advanced systems. Cybersecurity and carbon-zero sustainability should also be taken into account.
- Safe practice– cybersecurity is, of course, one of the highest priorities. Digital transformation needs to consider the latest defences and have an adequately resourced ICS-level cyber security function, including a senior information risk owner and data protection officer (DPO). Leaders must ensure they have responsible individuals to head up these teams and evaluate all the risks.
- Support people– many NHS staff have historically struggled with skill and confidence levels in ICT in general. Providing encouragement, training, professional development exercises and the information they need to do their jobs will help them develop.
- Empower citizens– the NHS is for the people of this country. All public systems they’re invited to use must be simple, easy-to-use and consistent, with a single coherent ICS-wide strategy for citizen engagement, that’s been co-designed with citizens. The use of digital communication tools should enable self-service pathways, while a system-wide approach will enable people to access and contribute to their health and care data
- Improve care– everything done under the digital transformation banner should be geared to creating digital systems which can better manage care plans, appointment schedules and changes, patient monitoring, patient identification and health records.
- Healthy populations– NHS organisations should aim to build digital networks that can identify the best care plans for individuals, helping them along the road to recovery and healthier lifestyles. Integrating with other local organisations is a key aspect of this. The same systems could identify at-risk populations and drive advances in AI (Artificial Intelligence).
How AMDH Services can help with the NHS’s WGLL framework
Things are really looking up for the NHS. Despite a tough couple of years that have brought about many challenges, the future looks bright. Pushing NHS leaders to drive digital transformation will help reduce staff burnout, increase efficiency, and dramatically improve patient welfare and wellbeing. Based in the East Midlands, AMDH knows that not everyone is confident with ICT. Technology can often seem to develop and advance faster than anyone can learn it.
As specialists in this sector, we’d be happy to help you out as your NHS organisation begins its digital transformation journey. There are several ways in which we can assist with aspects of the ‘What Good Looks Like’ framework if you’d like our help:
- IT strategy and cost modelling– if you’ve just started thinking about “What Good Looks Like”, having a clear digital transformation strategy is especially vital in the NHS for minimising interruptions and maximising efficiency.
- Cloud service design– cloud-based systems and networks are constantly evolving and improving, so it can be hard to know where to start. We can help you by designing a bespoke cloud service tailored to your NHS organisation.
- IT security– cybersecurity is so important. Threats can change daily, and keeping stakeholder records private is critical. We offer the ultimate protection against these criminals and their methods.
- IT infrastructure design– since technology develops and changes so quickly, it’s hard to know what hardware and physical infrastructures are best. We’ll offer you tailored advice about what’s most likely to be functional both now and in the future.
If any of these services would benefit your NHS or other public sector organisation, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us via email at info@amdhservicesltd.com or over the phone on 01332 322 588 for a free, no-obligation chat about your needs.
We look forward to hearing from you.
