Survey shows support for NPfIT – and a communication gap

Most doctors feel the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) is important but seem to know little about it, according to a survey by Medix UK.

The survey, sponsored by the Department of Health and Computer Weekly, asked over 1,000 doctors for their views on various aspects of the NPfIT. Respondents generally gave supportive and enthusiastic responses to questions about the programme’s priorities and its anticipated effects on the health service, but it also exposed big gaps in communication and consultation.

Three quarters of doctors surveyed said the programme was an important priority for the NHS and over half felt it was likely to bring improvements in their working lives (53%) and in clinical care (63%).

However, 88% said consultation with them had been inadequate or non-existent and an equal number felt this consultation was either ‘important’ or ‘very important’. Only 22% felt they had had received ‘a lot’ or ‘some’ information and 14% said the survey was the first they had heard about programme. Asked about the timing of detailed information, nearly half (47%) said they wanted “as much as practicable now". Others wanted detailed information within varying timeframes related to the go-live date in their area.

Questioned about the programme’s specific priorities, 82% said that the care record service was the right project to pursue, but respondents were less sure about e-prescribing (59%) and far less supportive of the first project in the pipeline, e-booking (35%).

There was ambivalence over the question of whether the NPfIT was a good use of resources with 31% agreeing that it was a good use for £2.3 billion, 30% saying it was not and 39% unsure.

The survey divided  some of its results between GPs and other doctors and reflected differences of opinion between the two groups. Questioned in detail about priorities for the new electronic services, GPs were keener than other groups to have facilities to transfer records and access to improved electronic communication. The other doctors placed greater emphasis than GPs on access to diagnostic results and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS).

Overall, the other groups of doctors were more likely to be very or fairly enthusiastic about the NPfIT (75%) than GPs (66%).