Written by IHT Staff writer.

According to market research firm Ovum, healthcare ICT spend will hit the £3 Billion mark by 2016, a growth of over 12% from figures in 2010. Aging population, increased healthcare requirements and the ongoing drive to slash costs in NHS operating costs are the key driving factors in this forecast. “The UK will experience the strongest growth over the forecast period of any market we looked at,” Cornelia Wels-Maug, Ovum’s healthcare technology analyst, said. “A key driver for the investment is the urgent need to do more with less, owing to the ever-increasing number of patients with chronic illnesses as the population lives longer.

The cost of delivering a healthcare service that doesn’t compromise on quality is spiraling out of control. Investments in IT are part of the solution,” she added. Ovum forecasts telehealth and healthcare information exchanges will be areas in the UK healthcare technology and IT industry that will see growth although electronic healthcare records and digital imaging technologies will continue as the main area for healthcare ICT investment in the UK.

Healthcare Informatics Spend in the UK to hit £3 Billion by 2016