Healthcare technology firm lands deals with north-eastern NHS trusts

Bryn Sage, chief executive of Inhealthcare, said the new app allows the NHS to solve the expensive problem of wasted prescriptions quickly and efficiently

This successful and award-winning collaboration led the Trust to establish Health Call to further develop the use of digital technology.

The trust has now awarded shares in the company to neighbouring NHS acute trusts in return for active participation and collaboration.

In addition to County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, the trusts involved in Health Call are Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, North Tees and Hartlepool Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Ian Dove, Director at Health Call,said: “The company is a vehicle for redefining best practice, recognising specialities and accessing the diversity of care expertise in the North East which has a population of over three million.

“Health Call will enable professionals in the North East and across the UK, to implement digital care at scale, supporting care organisations to design, develop and implement digital care services at speed.”

Chief executive of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Sue Jacques, said, “This is a bold and forward thinking step which I’m immensely proud of. Sharing knowledge and expertise is transforming the experience and care provided to patients across many of our services.”

Inhealthcare, based at Cardale House in Harrogate and founded in 2012, is part of the Intechnology Group.

Bryn Sage, chief executive of Inhealthcare: said: “This forward-looking collaboration between six acute trusts and industry allows the NHS to deliver digital health at scale to a population of more than three million people. It ensures a consistent approach to health and social care technology, avoids wasting scarce resources on duplicating efforts and allows examples of NHS excellence to be propagated across the region and beyond.”

Mr Dove added: “Our patients love this service, it saves them the time and bother of coming to clinic – they can even submit their readings from overseas if they go on holiday. One benefit we didn’t anticipate was the sense of empowerment patients have when self-monitoring - they work especially hard at managing their condition in order to get a good reading.”

Inhealthcare now works with nearly 20 customers, mainly focusing on NHS Trusts.