NHS Direct software may expand abroad after buyout
The firm that supplies the decision support software which forms the basis of the NHS Direct, NHS Direct Wales and Scotland’s NHS 24 telephone-based triage systems has been acquired by a consortium of investment companies, with the view of expanding overseas. CAS Services Ltd, the software company that has been supplying the ‘back end’ of […]
News
Somerset EPR “commended” by Healthcare Commission
The Healthcare Commission has praised Somerset Partnership NHS & Social Care Trust for its implementation of an electronic patient record, calling it "pioneering" but noting that some staff are having problems accessing information on the service. In its annual clinical governance review or ‘health check’ of the trust, the Healthcare Commission said that the trust’s […]
News
London RID suspended pending investigation
NHS Connecting for Health has announced that its regional implementation director for London, David Kwo, was suspended from duty on Thursday, 14 April pending investigations into allegations against him. Connecting for Health would not comment on the nature of the allegations against Kwo or say who had suspended him. The statement from Connecting for Health, […]
News
Southampton City PCT overhauls web services
Southampton City Primary Care Trust have announced a new version of its website that it hopes will better engage both staff and the 240,000 residents in its reach. The new web portal, which is run over EasySite content management software, is the first stage of a plan to renew web services across the PCT. According to […]
News
Can routine data detect ‘rogue’ doctors?
Was Rodney Ledward a statistical outlier? Researchers have discovered that the rogue gynaecologist could have been detected through the analysis of routinely collected data, but they caution against over-interpreting apparently poor results from doctors saying a scientifically credible explanation for outliers is needed. Ledward, who died in 2000, was struck off the medical register after […]
News
Siemens chosen for eye screening in Scotland
NHS Scotland has signed a deal with Siemens Medical Solutions to supply the screening module of its Soarian web-based electronic patient record system for diabetic retinopathy screening. Siemens will be supplying the web-based architecture to store and transfer images and patient records, and NHS Scotland will be responsible for setting up the infrastructure. "The project […]
News
Ex-NHSIA chief comes home again to Wales
Gwyn Thomas, former chief executive of the now-defunct NHS Information Authority, is the new Director of the NHS Wales Informing Healthcare Programme. The general election means that Dr Thomas is not available for interview but he said in the official announcement from the National Public Health Service for Wales: “I look forward to working with […]
News
Carry your medical records on a USB drive
A biochemistry professor has developed a USB key chain so that people can carry around their own electronic medical records downloaded from their doctor’s record system. The MedInfo Chip (right), developed by Dr Carl Franzblau, chairman and professor of biochemistry at the Boston University School of Medicine, is essentially a key drive that incorporates all the […]
News
Hutton defends premium rate patient calls
Health minister John Hutton has defended the use of premium rate bedside telephones in hospitals, calling them "a vital direct link" to the outside world for patients. In response to a parliamentary question about the use and cost of the service just before the dissolution of parliament at the announcement of the general election, the […]
News
NI GPs fear raid on computer money
GPs in Northern Ireland say money earmarked for primary care IT has been subject to huge delays and fear the funds could now be used for non-IT projects. The Northern Ireland LMCs’ conference this week unanimously passed a motion calling for an inquiry into why £5million pledged for primary care IT was not released until […]
News