The NHS is committed to delivering the best care for patients, and reducing harm. But sometimes risk aversion can cause more problems that good. Time and time again we hear from patients that real recovery happens in the home and community. Yet a desire to discharge people only when they are ‘perfect’ means that people are kept in beds for longer. This doesn’t work for anyone. Patients are out of work and their family lives. Out of area placements have risen exponentially. Beds are kept busy so the acuity level for admission gets higher and higher. Staff are overstretched and mental health waning. Budgets are not being used effectively. And it’s not actually serving the individual.
We need a more joined up approach, where the healthcare system looks at the data and evidence it has, and connects the dots. Where staff are empowered to see the numbers and can take informed action as a result. Where rather than being overwhelmed with information and going to the only thing they know – keeping patients under care in hospital – and instead focus on helping them back to homes, jobs and lives.
Because sometimes ‘good enough’ can actually reduce harm.
Scott Fletcher, CEO of Real World Health. Scott has a proven track record of leading, growing and selling VC and PE backed businesses in the Life Sciences and Healthcare sectors. He had led 2 successful exits and the acquisition and integration of several businesses across UK, Europe and North America. As an analytical chemist, Scott spent many years working in the pharmaceutical industry developing new and novel drug products and medical devices.
About Real World Health – Real World Health is a healthcare & life sciences data solution provider that helps its clients achieve more with their data. We have been a trusted partner to the NHS for more than 10 years, delivering millions in savings through our analytics and transformation solutions, with our proprietary Data Science Platform at the centre of everything we do. Delivering outstanding patient outcomes is core to our company values and we passionately believe that the use of predictive and prescriptive data analytics is central to this.
