Informatics Merseyside is the first health informatics service to appoint a chief clinical information officer.
Dr Jude Mahadanaarachchi has been a GP in Liverpool for seven years and is on the board of the Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group.
He said he took on the CCIO role because he wants to be involved in changing patient outcomes and shaping services in the new commissioning world.
“Quite simply, patient care is about having up to date information in real time. This can make you as a clinician make a different decision – that’s why IT is crucial,” he explained.
Dr Mahadanaarachchi has been involved in giving clinical feedback on IT projects developed by the HIS for a number of years.
Informatics Merseyside head of IM&T – commissioning, Kate Warriner, said the CCIO role was created because of the strong need for clinical engagement on IT projects and to push the boundaries of where the informatics service should be heading.
“We recognised the need for the role and had a number of discussions with Jude, recognising some of the work he’s been involved in and that he’s the man for the job,” she said
“We are a service provider to a number of different partners, both in terms of the new commissioning agenda and provider partners, so it’s providing that senior clinical role across the piece.”
Warriner said she would like to see CCIOs appointed at the HIS’ member organisations as well to create a network of clinical information leaders.
The recently released NHS information strategy says that every health care organisation needs to appoint a ‘board level’ CCIO or equivalent senior clinical leader, to be its local information champion.
Informatics Merseyside director Mark Bostock said the role provided a link between IT, clinical requirements and patient care.
He said Dr Mahadanaarachchi was a great candidate because he embraces IT innovation and will provide clinical credibility for some of the things being trialled by the service.
“If you have clinical credibility from a highly respected clinician who is involved in the organisation in addressing and championing what we are doing, that can only be good,” said Bostock.