Siemens chosen for eye screening in Scotland
NHS Scotland has signed a deal with Siemens Medical Solutions to supply the screening module of its Soarian web-based electronic patient record system for diabetic retinopathy screening. Siemens will be supplying the web-based architecture to store and transfer images and patient records, and NHS Scotland will be responsible for setting up the infrastructure. "The project […]
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Ex-NHSIA chief comes home again to Wales
Gwyn Thomas, former chief executive of the now-defunct NHS Information Authority, is the new Director of the NHS Wales Informing Healthcare Programme. The general election means that Dr Thomas is not available for interview but he said in the official announcement from the National Public Health Service for Wales: “I look forward to working with […]
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Rocky road ahead for NPfIT suppliers
The National Programme for IT favours large businesses over small and only amounts to a “contact database" for the NHS; however, the bigger companies involved in supply to the national programme are taking on enormous risks and could be heading for conflict, a new white paper is warning. The paper, published by consultancy firm Wireless […]
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Private hospital begins radiography IT modernisation
A private hospital in Kent has invested in a computed radiography (CR) system, as part of the first stage of “a wider digital imaging strategy". The technology, which was supplied to Chelsfield Park Hospital, near Orpington, by Kodak, comes in several parts. The Directview CR 850 System processes the images from cassette and can send […]
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NHSIA axed in arm’s-length bodies review
A long-anticipated axe fell on the NHS Information Authority (NHSIA) today when its abolition was announced as part of the Department of Health’s “Arm’s-length Bodies Review”. The NHSIA’s IT work will be incorporated into the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) and its information-related functions will be transferred to a new Health and Social Care Information […]
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One millionth baby issued NHS Number
One million newborn babies have now been issued with NHS number that will stay with them from birth for life, under the NHS Numbers for Babies (NN4B) Programme. The millionth NHS number was issued to a baby on Sunday 6 June 2004, eighteen months after the NHS Information Authority (NHSIA) launched the NN4B service. The NHS number […]
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NN4B Supports New Hearing Test for Babies
The national rollout of the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP) was launched this week with due praise for its technology devised by the NHS Information Authority, Syntegra and Hays CSG. The NHSIA’s Numbers for Babies (NN4B) service supports the hearing screen for newborns which is generating major improvements in services for babies born with hearing […]
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Better Information Needed for Sexual Health Services
Services struggling to cope with Britain’s deteriorating sexual health could be helped by a new approach to performance management underpinned by modern IT, according to a paper submitted to the Commons Health Select Committee. In June, the committee published a report that highlighted spiralling rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and long waits for appointments […]
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Twin Awards for NHS Numbers for Babies
The NHS Information Authority scooped two top prizes for the NHS Numbers of Babies (NN4B) service at the 2003 Government Computing/Syntegra Awards. Programme manager, Alan Smith won the Information Age Innovator of the Year award and the NN4B team won the category for “Best Project Within An Organisation”. Mr Smith said: "To represent the NHS […]
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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, […]
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