Search for:

In brief

NHSX, the technology and digital unit of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), recently published its draft Digital Health Technology Standard.

The standard aims to accelerate how digital health technologies (DHTs) are reviewed, commissioned and scaled for use across the wider health and care system, and provides guidance to support digital health technology developers.


Contents

NHSX’s standard contains 10 core components, which we have summarised into three main categories in a Connect on Tech article here.

Key takeaways:

  • Developers should consider NHSX’s guidelines in the early stages of designing DHTs.
  • Developers should demonstrate that the DHT is accessible, designed to achieve a clear benefit/outcome for users and is clinically safe.
  • Developers must ensure that the DHT is compliant with a range of data protection, security and regulatory requirements. These include the NHS’s Data Security and Protection Toolkit and ensuring DHTs are built and tested in accordance with the OWASP Application Security Verification Standard.

Presently, the standard is in draft form and NHSX sought feedback via a short survey until 22 April.

The standard builds on existing guidance already gaining traction in the UK and there is some overlap with the UK’s Code of Conduct for Data-Driven Health and Care Technologies. However, it is still a useful resource for developers trying to navigate the NHS as a potential customer. It signposts the array of guidance and legislation that applies to healthcare technology in the UK.

For more information, please contact Jaspreet Takhar of our London office.

This article was originally part of our EMEA Healthcare Newsletter in May 2020. Click here to read it.

Author

Jaspreet advises market-leading tech and healthcare companies on issues at the cutting-edge of digital health. She focuses on the development and regulation of healthcare technology and data solutions. This includes assessing how digital health solutions can comply with the legal framework for data privacy, medical research and medical devices / pharmaceuticals.