Digital Health Coffee Time Briefing ☕

Your morning summary of digital health news, information and events to know about if you want to be “in the know”.

👇 News

👂 People in the UK with hearing loss are set to benefit from better hearing aid devices following approval from the government. As part of Labour’s Plan for Change, businesses have been given the green light to sell “pioneering” hearing aid technology in the UK, including earphones with both hearing test and hearing aid functionality, allowing people to take hearing tests at home.

📱Patients at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust will soon be able to receive digital appointment letters and information via the NHS App. The trust said this will ensure patients get key information much more quickly and easily. Patients will still be able to access information via the trust’s DrDoctor portal, meanwhile those without a digital device will continue to receive letters via post.

🔐 The European Commission has put forward an action plan to strengthen the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare providers in the EU. The proposal builds on the existing, EU-wide legislation on cybersecurity while extending its scope to cover GP settings. The plan also aims to establish a pan-European cybersecurity support centre, which will tailored guidance to hospitals and healthcare providers.

💰 Biotechnology company Owlstone Medical has secured $27 million (£22m) in its Series E financing round. The funds will be used to support the development of the company’s Breath Biopsy platform, which is designed to diagnose and monitor digestive diseases based on biomarkers present in the breath.

🤝 Digital design agency Nexer Digital has launched an awareness campaign called ‘I Matter Too‘ about the importance of digital inclusivity. The campaign encourages businesses to embrace online accessibility as a core part of their strategy and focus on inclusivity as a key tenant, as opposed to treating it as a box-ticking exercise. 

❓Did you know?

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust answered nearly 57,000 calls to its mental health crisis response service in 2024.

The trust’s 111 hotline provides a single point of contact for anyone in Essex in need of urgent mental health support, and is available 24/7.

Some 56,872 calls were received by the service in 2024, with support teams offering mental health support via telephone or video consultation, face to face assessment, referrals to specialist mental health services or signposting other specialist or voluntary sector services.

📖 What we’re reading

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) puts forward its thoughts on the UK government’s 10 year health plan in the article ‘From analogue to digital: A vision for the NHS‘, published on 16 January 2025.

Tom Solomon, vice president at RCP, recommends a focus on investment in “well-functioning, interoperable IT systems, NHS equipment [and] digital infrastructure,” supported by “ambitious”, multi-year funding.

He adds that any digital transformation “must streamline workflows and improve patient care”, meaning a focus on user experience and systems designed to align with, and prioritise input from, patients and staff.

The article also touches on the need to get the basics right and reduce digital exclusion to ensure that new technological developments, such as AI, don’t widen existing disparities.

🚨 Upcoming events

30 January, virtual event – NHS Digital Transformation 2025