Data blindness
The latest scandal to hit the NHS was obscured for years in rows about data. Its legacy should be far better systems to capture patient experience.
Feature
NHS Choices selects Capita as preferred bidder
Capita has been announced as the preferred bidder to deliver NHS Choices for the next three years.
News
NHS Choices £80m contract award imminent
The Department of Health is this week expected to announce the winner of the three-year, £80m contract to run NHS Choices, the patient portal for health service. Gordon Hextall, acting head of NHS Connecting for Health, said at a news conference last Thursday, 10 July, that an announcement of the NHS Choices contract was “due […]
News
E-Health Insider award winner blazes trail for NHS
Homerton University NHS Foundation Trust won the 2007 BT e-Health Insider award for Excellence in Health Information Management.
Feature
IC boss says no special treatment for Dr Foster
The chief executive of the Information Centre has made it clear that Dr Foster Intelligence has no privileged access to data, as part of its partnership. Speaking at a Health Service Journal (HSJ) conference last month, Tim Straughan said organisations should not have to pay external companies such as Dr Foster for data, as the […]
News
Former IC chief loses tribunal claim
The former head of the NHS Information Centre, who claimed she was made a ‘scapegoat’ for a heavily criticised joint venture between the Department of Health (DH) and information specialists, Dr Foster, has failed to overturn a confidentiality agreement about the case. Professor Denise Lievesley, who was chief executive of the Information Centre (IC) from […]
News
Experience information deficit must be overcome
A steering group focused on harnessing the power of public opinion has found that many NHS boards do not have a systematic approach to using patient experience information, hence creating an information deficit, which must be overcome. In a research report, developed by senior health officials form the NHS and professional medical bodies, the steering […]
News
Ex-IC chief lodges ‘scapegoat’ claim
The former chief executive of the Information Centre (IC) has claimed that she was made a “scapegoat” for the heavily criticised joint venture between the Department of Health (DH) and information specialists, Dr Foster. Professor Denise Lievesley, who left the top post at the IC last year, says in an affidavit submitted to an employment […]
News
DH blasted for ‘back room deal’ with Dr Foster
The Department of Health ignored procurement guidelines and pursued a ‘back room deal’ on NHS information which was ‘handed to Dr Foster on a plate’, according to a committee of MPs. Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has today heavily criticised the DH for agreeing a joint venture with health informatics company Dr Foster without putting […]
News
Hewitt launches ‘Choose and Book’ librarians
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt has launched ten ‘choice’ library pilots. Librarians in the pilots will be trained to help people find and make sense of information about different healthcare providers and "choose and book" their hospital appointment. A DH spokesperson told EHI that the librarians would help people better understand the choices available to them, but would […]
News