A new coalition has launched with the aim of ensuring the interests of patients are put at the centre of the policymaking process around digital health.

The Patient Coalition for AI, Data and Digital Tech in Health unites a range of stakeholders including the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, Parkinson’s UK, the Patients Association, the Royal College of Pathologists and the Royal College of Radiologists.

It will operate as an independent campaigning coalition, aiming to advance joint pieces of work and engaging actively to help influence government and NHS policy on the use of digital technology in healthcare. The goal of this coalition is to ensure patient interests are put at the ‘forefront’ of ongoing media and policy discussions relating to digital health tech, as well as incorporating this into the policymaking process.

“The reason why all these fantastic partners from across the health landscape have agreed to join this Coalition is because we are all united by the common belief that more needs to be done to put patients at the heart of digital health. It really is an issue of collaboration and making sure that patients are consulted throughout the policymaking process and that their priorities and interests are at the core of policy decisions,” said Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association and chair of the coalition.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced it will launch the new Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) on 1 October.

The OHID will aim to tackle health inequalities across the UK, by driving a prevention agenda across government to reduce health disparities.

The new government body will address the top preventable risk factors for poor health, including obesity caused by unhealthy diets and lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption.

According to the DHSC, ill health among working-age people costs the economy approximately £100bn every year, and it is also estimated that 40% of healthcare provision in the UK is being used to manage potentially preventable conditions.
To tackle health inequality and preventable disease, the OHID will work across the health system to drive action on health disparities across the country.

NHS England is set to begin a large-scale trial of a new blood test that can detect over 50 types of cancer in the earliest stages of disease progression.

The Galleri test is able to identify the ‘earliest’ signs of cancer in the blood, before symptoms have even presented, said NHS England.

The large-scale Galleri test will aim to recruit 140,000 volunteers in eight areas of England – the first participants to take part will have blood samples taken at mobile testing clinics in retail parks and other community locations.

Participants will need to have not had a cancer diagnosis in the last three years, with the NHS already inviting tens of thousands of people from different background and ethnicities aged between 50- and 77-years-old to take part