The Liberal Democrats have labelled the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) as a waste of money which ‘has pushed the NHS into disarray’.
Setting out his vision for the NHS, in policy paper, ‘Empowerment, Fairness and Quality in Healthcare’, Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, says that NPfIT and the Medical Training Application Service (MTAS) have been over-budget messes by the Labour government.
“The NHS IT system is running behind schedule and billions of pounds over the original budget; the grossly mishandled doctors’ contracts with costs running hundreds of millions of pounds over budget; the new centralised computer system for doctors’ recruitment – MTAS introduced without proper piloting which caused chaos.
“These are all examples of where the government has rushed headlong into new projects and in the process has wasted money and pushed the NHS into disarray,” the paper says.
The paper also accuses the Conservatives of “almost criminal neglect” of the NHS during the party’s periods in office.
The Liberal Democrats say they will introduce compulsory technology appraisals, to ensure local trusts take full responsibility of the systems they install.
“The Liberal Democrats would initiate regular and thorough reviews of the implementation of technology appraisals, and would publish information on which health trusts were failing to meet their legal responsibilities in order that trusts could be held democratically accountable for their decisions.
“We will look at ways of allowing technology appraisals not only to make mandatory, legally enforceable recommendations, in high priority areas, but also to make some non-mandatory recommendations. Trusts would be regularly assessed by the Healthcare Commission on their compliance,” the party proposes.
The paper also proposes a change in the law so that all patients would be given copies of their medical records when they register with a doctor, instead of having to ask to see them.
Extending functionality already available using NHS Choices, the paper proposes piloting ‘Patient Reported Outcome Measures’ (PROMS).
“We would pilot publishing PROMs, which measure real patient experiences and assesses[sic] whether the treatment has actually benefited their physical and mental health,” the paper pledges.
Clegg said: “I am calling for a people’s health service which puts individuals in the driving seat of their own healthcare. Sixty years after it was founded, the NHS is in desperate need of a new direction. The battle for extra investment has largely been won, but the service we are getting is simply not good enough.”
The policy paper will be discussed at the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in March.
Links
‘Empowerment, Fairness and Quality in Healthcare’ policy paper
Joe Fernandez