Agenda for Change draft job profiles published
Job profiles for NHS health informatics staff, drawn up to meet the requirements of the national Agenda for Change pay structure, have been published for consultation this week. The staff organisations that co-operated on the profiles say they believe the new structure represents health informatics roles fairly, but they add that there will be jobs for […]
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Cost is main problem in implementing US EHR
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has warned that funding and encouragement of early adoption are a few of the several hurdles to implementing electronic health records and health IT modernisation. “Although the case for adoption of improved health informatics appears quite compelling, significant barriers to its use remain, particularly with regard to […]
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BMS UK takes over healthcare biometrics firm
Healthcare IT vendor Business Management Solutions UK has taken over ISL, from which it purchased biometric authentication software and hardware for the NHS. The company, ISL, manufactured Secure-IT and SentriNET, security systems that revolve around using fingerprints for logon and identity verification, but went into liquidation. The new company formed will be called BMS Biometrics Ltd. […]
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NHS library site to be revamped with new search
The NHSIA has announced the launch of an updated version of the National Electronic Library for Health, which will feature a new search engine, news feeds and extra content such as eBooks. The new website, www.library.nhs.uk, will become live on 17 November, and functionality will gradually be transferred from the older NeLH website, nelh.nhs.uk, over […]
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Chief executive of NHSIA quits
Gwyn Thomas (right) has stepped down as chief executive of the NHS Information Authority (NHSIA) after over four years in the post, E-Health Insider has learned. Deputy chief executive Jeff Smith has taken over as acting chief executive of the authority. Dr Thomas said: "It has been a privilege to work for the Information Authority […]
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New NHSU web tool assesses informatics skills
The NHS University (NHSU) has unveiled a new online personal information management survey designed to assess training needs in informatics for NHS staff. The tool, which is released today at the NHS Alliance Conference in Bournemouth, has been developed with the aid of the NHSIA, and is designed to ‘close the gaps’ in knowledge about processing and handling information […]
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DR scanner improves radiology productivity by 60%
The installation of a new digital radiography (DR) system in Edith Cavell Hospital, Cambridgeshire, has boosted productivity in the radiology department by 60%, according to a survey undertaken internally by the hospital. “Examinations can be completed in as little as thirty seconds, which is a real benefit for patients, and we are seeing dramatic reductions […]
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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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NHS electronic appraisals to be extended
An online package for filling out NHS appraisals is to be extended from GPs and consultants to more levels of staff, namely staff and associate specialists and non-consultant career grades. The NHS Appraisal Toolkit allows doctors to prepare their documentation at both pre- and post-appraisal, keep an “electronic appraisal record" and also share the signed-off […]
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The impact of the new National Care Record Service (NCRS) on primary care.
Kingsley Manning, Chief Executive of Newchurch Limited, discusses far-reaching effects that the National Care Record Service will have on primary care.
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