March 2025 Get Online London: Meet-Up

Vick Virdee of ACDA Skills Training gave a summary of the main issues around digital health, and Saleem Haider of East London NHS Foundation Trust gave a great talk about how the Trust is tackling digital exclusion in healthcare.  He finished with a fantastic summary of the main focus areas for digital inclusion action plans.  

Hubs were then invited to talk about their own experiences and share initiatives from across the City. It was a highly engaged and insightful discussion, and felt like just the start of the conversation - we will certainly be revisiting this topic in greater depth in the future.  Here are some of the main takeaways from the group discussion:

Key challenges and issues

• Digital skills gaps

  • Difficulty with online forms
  • Lack of basic digital skills
  • Lack of confidence
  • Complex learning curves

• Common patient concerns

  • Concerns about personal security (e.g., GP messaging)
  • Confusion due to multiple apps
  • Stigma associated with certain health topics
  • Feeling ‘bullied’ into using online services

• Access and resources

  • Lack of devices and affordable connectivity
  • Language barriers
  • Difficulties in identifying digitally excluded individuals
  • Insufficient digital skills among healthcare staff
  • Lack of resources to help digitally excluded families
  • Difficulties connecting community centres and the NHS
  • Lack of capacity within individual centres

• Engagement and tracking

  • Challenges in encouraging colleagues to identify and support those needing help
  • Difficulties in getting people to complete digital access trackers
  • A general lack of awareness amongst some healthcare staff of digital inclusion and the impact of digitisation on those who are digitally excluded

Potential solutions

• Proactive education

  • Providing digital skills training to digitally excluded patients before health services are needed
  • Improved educational campaigns on using the NHS app (e.g., GP leaflets)

• Improved access and support

  • Providing free Wi-Fi and services
  • Distributing devices to families needing them
  • Using online triage systems to identify digitally excluded individuals
  • Libraries acting as a place to direct people to help

• Strategic partnerships

  • Strengthening partnerships with local government
  • Utilising Databank services
  • Collaborating with hospitals
  • Engaging community partners for long-term support
  • Leveraging community volunteers for NHS app training
  • Creating a middle level group to help connect community centres and the NHS