Dorset Council is the unitary authority covering the county of Dorset.

Innovation is critical and the council is working in a number of areas to boost economic growth and innovation to:

  • secure investment in and development of the Dorset Innovation Park (DIP) advanced engineering, defence and cyber security cluster
  • develop and promote Dorset as a location for the growth of agritech and aquaculture.
  • increase food productivity and security through technological development.
  • drive innovation through the Council’s procurement of goods and services
  • develop and promote Dorset as a location for the growth of clean and green technology.
  • develop and promote Dorset as a location for the growth of technology to meet the challenges of an ageing population.

 

Digital – the prescription for a better future

Health and social care services are under pressure like they have never been before – but digital has the potential to help make a huge difference. Digital health technology and online services offer a real opportunity to help ease those pressures and complement the services Dorset’s residents already receive. The NHS has developed a range of health apps that can help people with long term conditions manage their health from home e.g., online booking systems, online prescription services, and appointments via a video call.

Hospitals have the potential to discharge people sooner thanks to virtual wards and tech enabled care (TEC) continues to advance. These specially developed tools can help people live independently and in their own homes for longer. The potential of digital and how it could enhance health and social care services is huge. For this potential to be fulfilled, we need the buy-in from people to use these digital services and the confidence and skills to use them.

Dorset Council’s Digital Skills team is working closely with the Integrated Care Service (ICS) to do just that.

We are:

  • Providing volunteer digital champion support across Dorset in libraries, community centres and GP surgeries
  • Training people in frontline roles, including social workers and GP staff, to be ‘embedded digital champions’
  • Sharing data – using the award-winning Dorset Intelligence and Insight Service (DiiS) to bring together millions of data records from health and social care
  • Working with the ICS to provide targeted support to help people with long term health conditions use health apps
  • Providing skills support to care homes so they can adopt digital management of their records

For more information please visit www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.