New Caldicott guardian for national programme
The National Programme for IT (NPfIT) has appointed the head of its digital information policy team, Phil Walker, as its Caldicott guardian. He will take responsibility for all data protection and information processing advice. A spokesperson for the national programme confirmed to EHI: “The main focus of his work will be NPfIT, but drawing a distinction […]
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NPfIT refutes claims on unforeseen costs
The National Programme for IT (NPfIT) last night issued a lengthy statement refuting claims that it will generate billions of pounds worth of unforeseen costs. The programme said it has always made it clear that it would be spending up to 4% of the NHS budget, in line with recommendations in the Wanless Review. The […]
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New employment terms for NHS IT staff to be introduced
The new version of Agenda for Change (AfC), the Department of Health’s new terms for most NHS employees including IM&T staff, has been published, and will be voted on by UNISON members with a recommendation for acceptance. If it is approved then the new system will begin on 1 December, with some protection measures in place for those whom […]
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Contact lost as NHS e-mail relaunch misfires
Contact, the new NHS e-mail service supplied by Cable and Wireless, is down for maintenance after problems at its launch on Friday, which some reports say left staff without access to their mailboxes. The Contact service has been temporarily replaced with the previous NHSmail system, as supplied by EDS. According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the servers […]
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Furore over £31 billion figure for NPfIT
Health minister, John Hutton, today dismissed as ‘speculation’ figures that suggest total implementation costs for the National Programme for IT could rise to £31 billion. “There is no evidence whatsoever that that this will be the cost of implementing the National Programme for IT," he told a Radio 4 interviewer. Pressed to say how much […]
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NPfIT procurement unfriendly for SMEs, says OFT
SMEs are being locked out of competition in many areas of public sector procurement, including the National Programme for IT, due to the sheer size of the contracts up for grabs, a preliminary report from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has found. In a case study of IT procurement, the OFT found that participation […]
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Patient experience website breaks mental health taboo
Dipex, a charity that runs a number of support websites that contains personal testimonies from people who have suffered from illness, has launched a new module on mental health. Journalist and newsreader Jon Snow, who chaired the launch in London, said: "This is an extremely important moment because Dipex is coming of age in a […]
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Brent goes live with Graphnet drug action team solution
Brent Primary Care Trust, north west London, has gone live with a new system developed by Graphnet to enable drug action teams (DATs) to meet reporting targets. DATs, across the UK are responsible for drug strategies for adults and they have report to the National Treatment Agency to obtain funding. The new system, developed by […]
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Web catalogue powers up procurement project
A collaborative NHS procurement project in the north-east of England has combined its bargaining power with the new ability to buy non-clinical items through a web-based catalogue. The North East Patches Shared Systems Project, which includes NHS organisations within Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, and North-East Yorkshire, allows requisitioning to take place over a simple web […]
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Chatrooms found to give bad advice to patients
An study from the University of Derby has revealed that people who look for health guidance through chatrooms or messageboards may be receiving poor advice, causing extra difficulty for GPs. Dr Neil Coulson, a reader in health psychology, studied chatrooms and websites dedicated to helping people with high-profile conditions such as HIV, diabetes and cancer, and found […]
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