New technology 'transforming' NHS care 78 years on
BBCNHS technology has transformed the way people across the South West are cared for, health bosses have said.
The NHS celebrated its 78th birthday on Sunday and clinicians in the region claimed the innovations of modern day would be "unrecognisable" at the service's start.
Dr Simon Patten, clinical director of urgent and emergency care at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, said the comparison was like "night and day".
He said: "I've been qualified for now 20 years and what we did when I started and what we do now is unthinkably different."
He added: "There is just no way we would even consider the things that I did as a norm 20 years ago."
Andy Mouncey from Bude, Cornwall, an outpatient appointment at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital said the progress in technology was "excellent for patients who can benefit from all these technological advances".
"They're improving their qualities of life, it's got to be a good thing," he said.
NHS England South West said new techniques and technology were "transforming the way people access care, often without even having to leave home".
Dr Stephen Trowell, NHS England South West's Director of Digital Transformation, said: "As the NHS marks 78 years, it's fantastic to see thousands of patients benefiting from these advances every day.
"They're the sorts of things that wouldn't have been dreamt of in 1948, showing just how far we have come.
"The NHS App is a quiet revolution for patients; a front door to the NHS, allowing people to take more control of their own healthcare as functions are added.
"It's not just about ordering repeat meds. Many of us can now do things like check our records, make and change appointments and keep in touch with our GP surgery."
Recent innovations
NHS England South West said recent innovations included:
- A mobile X-ray car in Cornwall
- The Acute Hospital at Home service in Devon, allowing 16,000 patients to be cared for in their own home rather than in a hospital bed)
- A scheme in Dorset allowing people to monitor their blood pressure from home
Sue Doheny, NHS England South West's interim director said: "When the NHS was founded 78 years ago, it was built on pioneering ideas that transformed care.
"How brilliant that the same spirit of innovation continues today, delivering care closer to home and even via our phones.
"None of this would be possible without all our fantastic South West regional colleagues, who continue to adapt and evolve with the service, going above and beyond for patients every day."