Connecting for Health to take over NHS Choices
NHS Connecting for Health is to take over responsibility for the NHS Choices portal, the government’s national patient portal for delivering patient choice and health information services. Following the transfer, NHS Choices will become the point of access for HealthSpace, the online organiser used to give people access to their NHS Summary Care Record. It […]
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Swindells calls for stronger use of information
Departing CIO at the Department of Health, Matthew Swindells, has stressed the importance of the NHS using information to make the service better. In the opening speech at the Healthcare Computing conference in Harrogate today, Swindells stressed that NHS managers must see information they produce as an asset, and not just numbers. “NHS managers must […]
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Electronic ‘fit notes’ could replace sick notes
Paper-based sick notes should be replaced with electronic ‘fit notes’ according to the first ever review of the health of Britain’s working age population. The recommendation to implement an electronic system of ‘fit notes’, which would switch the focus to what people can do and improve communications between employers, employees and GPs, is made in […]
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BMA conference says C+B limits patient choice
The British Medical Association’s annual conference has condemned Choose and Book as currently unfit for purpose and claimed the scheme actually limits patient choice, echoing criticism from GP representatives earlier this month. Doctors at this week’s BMA’s annual representative meeting (ARM) passed a motion which branded Choose and Book as unfit for purpose and claimed […]
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A world of good
Some of the best ideas for e-health around the World were brought together for the Imagine Cup. Joe Fernandez reports.
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Unichem connects for Electronic Prescription Service
Pharmaceutical wholesaler UniChem and its retail arm Alliance Pharmacy has announced that it has selected virtual networking company Sirocom to provide a managed broadband service to 1,000 of its pharmacies. The broadband connections are being implemented to enable the roll out of Electronic Prescribing Services by connecting allowing its pharmacies to connect to the NHS […]
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Birmingham PCTs sign up for Pfizer self-care project
Two PCTs in Birmingham are to be the first in the UK to implement a community self-care project in which patients with diabetes and other long-term conditions will receive regular telephone support at home by trained community nurses. The OwnHealth project, which will be run by UK Pfizer Health Solutions in conjunction with NHS Direct, will […]
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Calls for clarity in spirited BMA confidentiality debate
Doctors queued up to speak on the confidentiality issues raised by centralised electronic records in a lively open debate at the British Medical Association’s annual representatives meeting in Manchester. The debating time was extended to allow more speakers to get their views across and passions on the subject ran high. Most contributors to the debate were […]
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‘State of the art’ review of health IT announced
The National Patient Safety Research Programme has issued a call for a systematic review of internationally available research on the impact of information technology on the quality and safety of health services. In collaboration with NHS Connecting for Health (CfH), the NPSA’s Patient Safety Research Programme is calling for an analysis of the evidence for […]
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InPS acquires retail pharmacy IT solution
Healthcare IT systems specialist, In Practice Systems (InPS), has announced the acquisition of the UK arm of NDCHealth whose Pharmacy Manager solution is used in over 2,000 pharmacies, representing nearly 20% of the UK market. The sale, completed at the end of October, was made to Cegedim SA, InPS’s Paris-based owner, and NDC Health Ltd will […]
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