NHS England has agreed to make a significant investment in the CCIO Leaders Network set up by EHI to promote clinical involvement in healthcare IT.
Making the announcement at EHI Live 2014 in Birmingham, EHI editor Jon Hoeksma said the commissioning board’s decision to back the network would enable it to expand significantly and to run more events.
In particular, he said it would enable a larger CCIO summer school, more regional events, and more support for junior doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. It will also support the creation of new handbooks and best practice manuals.
Dr Joe McDonald, the chair of the CCIO Leaders Network, said: “I think this is fantastic news, because it is a recognition of the great work that EHI CCIO Campaign and now the CCIO Leaders Network have been doing.
“I think NHS England is interested in promoting the development of the CCIO Leaders Network and in making sure that every NHS organisation has an IT savvy clinician to lead on the sharing of information to improve patient care.”
EHI set up its CCIO Campaign in 2011, to encourage every NHS organisation to appoint a clinical information leader to input into IT and information projects.
The campaign was rapidly backed by ministers, and EHI now hosts the CCIO Leaders Network to support the CCIOs in place across the NHS, to encourage further appointments, and to explore a career path for young health professionals with an interest in technology.
The network has around 80 members, and is holding its third annual conference alongside EHI Live 2014 at the NEC in Birmingham today.
Beverley Bryant, the director of systems and technology at NHS England, said: “Bringing together clinical expertise and technology and informatics skills is the key thing that we need to do to drive forward a digital NHS.
“That ambition is really well embedded in the CCIO Leaders Network, and I am really pleased to be able to invest in that. We want to see the network expand and develop, and are delighted to be able to play a role in helping it to do that.”