The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the ministerial department overseeing national health policy and the NHS, has invested over £5 million in remote working devices to enhance accessible health and social care in underprivileged areas across the UK.
This data, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) and analysed by the Parliament Street think tank, reflects the Department of Health’s expenditure over the past three financial years.
In total, the DHSC spent £5,119,717 on 7,246 laptops, tablets, and mobile phones for staff and regional practices nationwide. Laptops comprised 70% of the expenditure, with over £3.5 million allocated to 4,312 devices. Mobile phones represented 28 per cent of the budget, accounting for 2,806 devices, while tablets were less common, constituting 2% with 128 devices.
“For many remote working devices, essential security tools are not always effective. As highlighted in our Cyber Resilience Index, Endpoint Protection Platforms and network access security applications on managed PCs fail to operate effectively 24 per cent of the time,” said Andy Ward, VP International at Absolute Security. “Cyber resilience must be a top priority for organisations, especially with staff who work remotely. This includes having comprehensive cyber defence measures that integrate reactive, preventative, and recovery procedures.”
More than half of the spending occurred in the financial year 21-22, as the department made a significant push to facilitate remote working in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This investment supports the department’s commitment to equipping a well-prepared healthcare workforce to deliver top-notch health and social care services to communities across the UK.
The investment aligns with DHSC’s initiative to establish an affordable, high-quality adult social care system and enhance national healthcare services.
“The onset of work-from-anywhere, catalysed by the pandemic, is still having a significant impact on working models today, and it’s great to see the Department of Health and Social Care equipping staff with the tech they need to facilitate this. The initiative not only supports the workforce, but also enhances the overall efficiency and responsiveness of healthcare delivery across the UK and helps to improve health and social outcomes in underprivileged areas,” said Sachin Agrawal, Managing Director for Zoho UK. “This investment should form part of a wider strategy, providing employees with the latest software applications and digital skills training to fully understand capabilities to maximise productivity and deliver critical services, regardless of where they are logging on from.”
Michael Thornton, senior director, public sector at Investigo, part of The IN Group, said: “The Department of Health and Social Care’s recent investment in remote working devices is a clear step in the right direction towards bolstering employment opportunities in the public sector. While this investment is impressive and necessary to support remote working across the UK, we must see this as a wider commitment in investing in our workforce.
“Strong leadership and direction in the public sector are crucial for attracting and retaining the top talent, which translates to better service to communities across the UK. Therefore, we must prioritise training and upskilling to produce the most productive workforce in the public sector.”
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