Safety Gains Available from IT
IT can substantially improve the safety of medical care but few of the technologies likely to achieve this are implemented, according to a major US review of the subject published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The review’s authors from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Center for Applied Medical Information Systems, Partners HealthCare System […]
News
NHS IT Programme Enters ‘Heartlands’
The National Programme for IT (NPfIT) in the NHS has published a brief progress update, stating that ‘the heartlands of the Programme’ have now been entered, and reaffirming that key contract awards will occur this year followed by implementation. The three-page document reiterates the main features of the National Programme, outlines progress on the current […]
News
NHS IT Investment Still Being Diverted
A new report by the Audit Commission concludes that more than half of all NHS trusts in England have diverted ‘hypothecated’ investment money away from projects such as new computer systems, to meet pressing operational requirements and plug financial deficits. While painting a fairly upbeat picture of progress to date towards NHS modernisation objectives the […]
News
Capio Healthcare Strikes Deal with Cerner
Swedish-based Capio Healthcare, which runs private hospitals and diagnostic services in eight European countries has chosen Cerner Corporation as its strategic IT partner for a hospital automation project in the UK. The first phase of the project will implement a foundation for electronic medical records and patient access systems across Capio’s 22 hospitals, which are […]
News
South West Collaborative EPR Procurements Ended
A series of collaborative NHS IT procurement projects for electronic patient record (EPR) systems in the South West had the plug pulled last week by local management after they failed to secure national funding from the National Programme for IT in the NHS (NPfIT). The Shires and Pan-Bristol procurements predated the National Programme and had […]
News
Online Recruitment Plan for NHS in England
Details of the long-delayed project to put NHS jobs in England online have emerged from the Department of Health (DH). A pilot electronic recruitment service is due in summer 2003 and a full-roll out is expected in late 2003 or early 2004. Sites for NHS jobs in Wales and Scotland are already up and running […]
News
Healthcare IT and Devolution
The health services in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were detached from the English mother ship as part of devolution. This can be seen in terms of policies: in this week’s elections for the Welsh Assembly, Labour promised free prescriptions if it regained power. But it also means that IT is procured by each nation, […]
News
£27m for Digital Cameras to Track Diabetic Retinopathy
A total of £27m has been allocated to buy digital eye screening cameras for use in tracking retinopathy in people who have diabetes. Announcing the funding, health minister, David Lammy, said the cameras could help 1000 people a year by triggering preventive action against visual impairments, including blindness. Digital retinopathy cameras provide precise digital images […]
News
National Programme ‘Mobilises’ for Delivery
The shape of things to come on NHS IT started to become clearer during the course of Healthcare Computing with a series of key announcements made on how and when the NHS IT Programme is moving from its initial ‘mobilisation phase’ to focus on delivery, and the key personnel who will be responsible. Five Local […]
News
DH Shapes Up National IT Structures
The "Who Does What" debate at the top level of healthcare IT continues but the HC2003 audience at Harrogate this week got a glimpse on the shape of things to come for the NHS Information Authority (NHSIA), the Information Policy Unit (IPU) and the National IT Programme Department of Health (DH) director of research, information […]
News