IT delays contribute to NHS trust deficits
Delays in implementing the National Programme for IT are listed by the influential Commons public accounts committee today as a factor leading to some NHS trusts plunging into the red. The PAC’s inquiry into financial management in the NHS found that in 2005/06 14 trusts asked the Department of Health for money to cover “costs incurred as a result […]
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NHS 24 faces legal action over patient deaths
NHS 24, the Scottish health helpline service, is being sued for £750,000 damages by the partner of a man who died of toxic shock. Kerry Robertson is claiming that the helpline’s neglect contributed to the death of 30 year-old Steven Wiseman. It is the first time that the helpline service has been sued for medical […]
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DH acknowledge junior doctor selection ‘shortcomings’
An extremely rapid DH initial review into the heavily criticised online junior doctor recruitment system has within 24-hours admitted that there were ‘shortcomings’ that need to be addressed. Following threats of boycotting the system from consultants, the review team which was set up on Friday announced on Saturday a series of changes to the system […]
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Suspended Fujitsu exec tells MPs NPfIT needs leadership
The senior manager at Fujitsu who said the National Programme for IT was in danger of delivering “a camel, and not the racehorse that we might try to produce”, has told a parliamentary committee that this can only be solved with more ‘visionary and proactive leadership from the NHS.’ Andrew Rollerson, who was credited as […]
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New post-Shipman information guidelines issued
The government has released new guidelines on the use of information to ensure NHS organisations have systems and processes in place to protect patient safety. The guidelines form part of the Safeguarding Patients report, released yesterday in response to the fifth Shipman inquiry report, initially released in December 2004. This week’s report also takes into account […]
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Health Select Committee outlines NPfIT inquiry
The House of Commons Health Committee has announced details of what it intends to look into as part of its inquiry into the NHS National Programme of IT. As EHI reported in November, the Health Select Committee announced in November its intention to undertake an inquiry. At a meeting this week, the committee said that the […]
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Health select committee to investigate NPfIT
An inquiry into the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) will be held by the House of Commons’ health select committee, according to a report in Computer Weekly. The committee originally decided not to hold such an inquiry, but are reported to have changed their minds after they were provided with documents from the magazine, including a confidential briefing […]
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NHS data ‘not accurate enough’ to assess doctors
NHS hospital episode data is not accurate enough to monitor individual doctors’ performance, according to a pilot study conducted by the Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP) iLab. The pilot allowed doctors to access the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) in England and the Patient Episode Database Wales (PEDW). Both databases include information such as when a […]
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Warner rejects call for CfH architecture review
Health minister Lord Warner has rejected calls from leading computer academics for an independent review of the technical architecture of the NHS national programme for IT. Speaking at a conference in London yesterday he said: "…I do not support at the call by 23 academics to the House of Commons Health Select Committee to commission […]
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National children’s database gets go-ahead
The government has given the go-ahead for the creation of an electronic information sharing index containing information on all children aged 0 to 18 in England. The IS (information sharing) Index was launched by Beverley Hughes, children’s minister, who said that the aim was for the database to be rolled out by the end of […]
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