First NPfIT deployment plans released
The £6.2 billion National Programme for IT (NPfIT) has published a summary of its deployment plans for the first time, indicating what new IT systems are intended to be deployed to NHS organisations and by when, writes Jon Hoeksma. According to the plan, which is available here, deployment of hospital administration and clinical systems will begin […]
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PR heavyweight appointed to sell NHS CRS
The NHS National Programme for Information Technology (NPfIT) has appointed communications consultancy giant Porter Novelli, part of the global marketing conglomerate Omnicom, to help deliver staff and public information campaigns about the NHS Care Records Service (CRS). Porter Novelli, one of the top seven PR agencies internationally, will help to deliver public information campaigns about […]
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This time it’s personal
Why do we need electronic health records, anyway? Gerry Yantis and Manuel Lowenhaupt of CapGemini argue that the challenges faced in implementing them shouldn’t detract from their importance.
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£95m package to boost e-booking uptake
Primary care trusts (PCTs) that offer a choice of hospital treatment to non-emergency patients through the electronic ‘choose and book’ system will be rewarded under a new £95m scheme announced today by health secretary, John Reid. A new package of funds is designed to speed up the implementation of the government’s commitment that by 31 […]
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NAO finds Choose and Book running late
Technical problems, delays in delivering upgrades and failure to engage GPs means the roll-out of Choose and Book, the national electronic appointment booking system, is behind schedule and, at best, will only offer 60-70% availability by the end of 2005. As a result the Government target to deliver patient choice by the end of the […]
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Health and Social Care chief talks about year ahead
Bob Allen, interim chief executive of the new Information Centre for Health and Social Care, has spoken to E-Health Insider about the centre’s responsibilities when it comes into being as a special authority on 1 April, 2005. The centre takes over some of the role of the NHS Information Authority, which is to be disbanded […]
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Securing NHS Care Records
Duncan McNeil, chief technology officer for the National Programme for IT, explains how new NHS Smartcards will be used to restrict access to patient information.
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Ascribe seeks AIM listing
Medicines management software specialist, Ascribe is poised to seek a listing on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and raise £5.5m to develop the company. Ascribe, which was established in 1989, expects to have a stock market capitalisation of about £20m. Managing director, Stephen Critchlow, a former hospital pharmacist, confirmed to E-Health Insider that the funds raised by […]
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New QOF software to hide data, but not for all GPs
NPfIT has developed software that automatically anonymises GP electronic patient records for audit by primary care organisations under the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), in response to concerns over confidentiality from the BMA – but it will not work with all practices. The program, QOF Assessor Toolkit, will connect with the majority of GP software, […]
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Choose and Book faces potential “show stoppers”
Implementation of Choose and Book (CaB), the national electronic appointment booking service, is experiencing serious teething problems with only a very basic, stand alone “naked" version of the e-booking application used so far. One of the pilot sites in Barnsley is understood to have put a freeze on using the main CaB application due to concerns […]
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