Pioneering adoption of healthcare initiatives, such as digital wards in the UK, has a role in promoting universal medical care, according to the findings of a World Economic Forum (WEF) report.
UK Health Secretary Steve Barclay has declared that solutions for the crisis of demand facing the British NHS need to be introduced in weeks.
These include the establishment of “virtual wards” that use technology to monitor and give remote care to patients at home.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called for a focus on digital to help overhaul the NHS as it is beset by a winter flu pandemic, swelling waiting lists for operations and strikes over pay.
“What we’ve been talking to people about is trying to figure out how can we get people treated exactly where they need to be,” he said on Monday.
“It’s the type of model that we just need to do more of, because it is so powerful. Who doesn’t prefer to be at home if they can be at home?”
The Global Health and Healthcare Strategic Outlook covers the role of digital technology in strengthening access to healthcare. The WEF report looks at the potential for technology-driven change up to 2035. It singles out the UK's efforts to transform its free-to-use state healthcare system.
“Innovation has the potential to reduce overall healthcare spending by improving efficiency and outcomes,” said the report issued this week. “There is increasing recognition that treating patients in lower-acuity settings, such as the home, is less costly.
“Total home health expenditure growth is expected to outpace total healthcare expenditure growth in nearly all other healthcare segments, with increasing focus on home diagnostics, home administered drug delivery systems and patient monitoring devices.”
Globally the trend towards technology offering more universal care was at the forefront of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Digital investments nearly doubled to $57 billion in 2021, particularly in telehealth and mental health,” the report estimated, with more research showing the potential for remote interactions.
“For example, National Health Service (NHS) England says one in four general practitioner appointments are potentially avoidable, and telemedicine is important for relieving the burden on the health system,” it said.
The NHS website says virtual ward pilot schemes are about providing rapid care to people in their own homes rather than going to hospital and supporting those who are frail.
“In a virtual ward, support can include remote monitoring using apps, technology platforms, wearables and medical devices such as pulse oximeters,” it states. “Support may also involve face-to-face care from multi-disciplinary teams based in the community.”
The WEF report also expands on how the approach delivers care and says its adoption will be promoted by more information on how effective remote treatment can be for patients.
“More robust evidence linking investment in health technologies to contained costs and improved outcomes will facilitate recognition and uptake of innovation by public bodies,” it states.
As part of a package of reforms, it says the set-up could lead to more efficient healthcare spending.
“Better prevention, monitoring and personalised recommendations leveraging digital and AI-powered techniques can have significant impact on overall spend,” another section says.
“Beyond healthcare savings, healthcare innovation supports overall economic output. A model built to project ageing populations demonstrates future reductions in output of 17 per cent by 2056 and 39 per cent by 2096 relative to an economy with constant population distribution.
“Therefore, innovators need to focus not only on their projected revenues but the extent to which their products and services will ultimately lead to cost savings, improved efficiencies and true value add to existing treatment paradigms.”
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
If you go
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Santiago, via Sao Paolo cost from Dh5,295 with Emirates.
The trip
A five-day trip (not including two days of flight travel) was split between Santiago and in Puerto Varas, with more time spent in the later where excursions were organised by TurisTour.
When to go
The summer months, from December to February are best though there is beauty in each season
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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