Vaccine expert claims technology is key to cutting NHS costs
Chairman of the COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca states investing in technology that can be used for screenings and artificial intelligence could lower hospital admissions.
The NHS is currently under immense pressure as A&E wait times hit record highs and strikes exacerbate ambulance delays. Leif Johansson, Chairman of COVID-19 vaccines giant AstraZeneca, has declared a way around this is to stop people from being ‘present’ in hospitals.
Mr Johansson estimated around 97% of healthcare costs come from ‘when people are present at the hospital’ and said the remaining 3% is made up of vaccination, early detection, or screening.
The vaccine expert told the BBC: ‘If we can get into an investment mode in health for screening or prevention or early diagnostics on health and see that as an investment to reduce the cost of sickness then I think we have a much better model over time that would serve us well.’
Speaking on the UK, he said: ‘All countries have different systems, and the NHS is one that we’ve learned to live with, and I think Brits in general are very grateful for that.’
In a bid to defend his argument, Mr Johansson drilled the fact he does not want to collapse the NHS system that the country knows so well, but rather ‘embrace technology and science’ to assist it out of its current problematic state.
Ambulance delays across England and Wales have come as a result of the strikes which occurred yesterday and added to concerns that already existed around the health sector.
Additionally, nurses biggest walkout to date is due to take place on 6th and 7th February 2023.
Photo by Ramón Salinero