New funding to help NHS trusts to pursue digital excellence

NHS England has announced the availability of more than 100 million in funding to help 26 of the country's most digitally advanced trusts attain higher standards of digital excellence.

The shortlist of trusts has been drawn up based on their use of technology in hospitals, with between ten and 16 of them to be selected to receive up to ten million pounds each to invest in digital infrastructure and specialist training.

In order to earn a share of the pot, trusts will need to will need to demonstrate their potential to become world leaders in health informatics, in terms of their comprehensive use of electronic patient records, data security and information sharing across the local health and care system.

NHS England will partner these global centres of digital excellence with international sister organisations to maximise the benefit they get from the systems and support workforce development, encouraging local IT leaders to become chief clinical information officers.

Professor Keith McNeil, chief clinical information officer at NHS England, said: "Our aim here is to create a national movement in which the centres of global digital excellence will be core."