Greenhalgh slams Burns SCR review

The leader of the independent Summary Care Record review has described the government’s promise to doctors to conduct another review as an "absolute disgrace."

Health minister Simon Burns wrote to the British Medical Association promising a review last week, and his letter was read out at the Local Medical Committees’ conference as it debated the SCR.

In an interview with E-Health Insider, Trisha Greenhalgh, professor of primary healthcare and director of the Centre for Life Sciences at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, said the review would be a "cosmetic consultation" and "like shifting the chairs on the Titanic."

 She added: "Simon Burns, in my interpretation, sent out that letter in a hurry just before the vote was taken at the LMC conference about whether the SCR should be kept or abandoned.

"The letter was clearly very rapidly put together to say that they would do a review. From what I understand the review will look at what gets sent to the patient and the consent model. It is a cosmetic consultation and not a proper review."

Professor Greenhalgh also raised a concern that while close to one million pounds has been spend on the review that she is leading, this could be wasted. The review is set to be released on Thursday.

Professor Greenhalgh added: "I’m extremely concerned that the report may not be read by government or civil servants.

"The idea that the government can authorise the allocation of millions of pounds on a review of the National Programme for IT and then not even bother to look at what we’ve said – and in fact to completely ignore it – is an absolute disgrace."