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Autumn 2001
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A survey carried out by Northgate Information Solutions finds that lack of financial and IT resources in NHS Trusts may place critical government deadlines at risk for the new integrated national IT infrastructure launched in January 2001 (Department of Health, ‘Building the Information Core’).
Out of 43 IT managers interviewed across NHS Trusts in England, 32% claim that they do not have enough resources to meet targets. In addition, 43% say that they have not yet been allocated any budget - a worry when the first deadline, which was to establish NHSnet connection for GP practices and Trusts, was March 2001.
IT managers face further obstacles through a lack of communication from financial departments, 42% do not know how much money they have been allocated to fulfil the Department of Health’s e-strategy objectives.
One of the biggest resource problems is availability of appropriate skills. 95% declare there is an IT skills shortage in the NHS. 74% believe the main reason for this is that IT staff within the NHS are not paid enough compared to other industries. This may be affecting morale as 21% of the IT managers surveyed said they do not see a long term future in the NHS because of a limited career path.
‘Building the Information Core’ sets out deadlines for all NHS Trusts to reach specific levels of IT competency using integrated systems. Examples include implementing and running Level 3 Electronic Patient Records and a National Booking System by 2005. However, 38% or IT managers are not aware of any deadlines at all.
IT managers had particular concerns about implementing the National Booking System, which will provide an integrated electronic link between GPs and hospitals to make on-the-spot appointments. 39% of IT managers interviewed say that existing systems are out-of-date and disparate. 32% also worry that it will take too much time and will be too complicated to transfer all patient information across the country into one central database.
Although the benefits of making it more convenient for GPs and patients to book hospital appointments online and reduce waiting times are self-evident, a cynical 13% of IT managers do not believe that medical staff and patients will see any benefits of using a National Booking System.
Dave Meaden, director of Public Sector, Northgate, said:
“While we wholeheartedly support the Government’s plans to modernise the NHS, there are clearly some practical issues which need to be addressed first. Partnering with IT solutions providers like Northgate can help address several critical concerns, including IT skills shortages, integration of disparate systems and fulfilment of key targets such as Level 3 Electronic Patient Records.”
On a positive note, 80% of IT managers believe that on the whole, the Department of Health’s plans for an integrated national IT infrastructure will benefit both patients and medical staff. 18% think the strategy will also help them in their job, by enabling them to manage IT more effectively and easily. Encouragingly, only 2% of those interviewed see the programme as a waste of time.
For further information about the survey including a full report, please contact David Goddard at Northgate Information Solutions on (01442) 232424. In addition, if you would like to read a full copy of the ‘Building the Information Core’ document, you can visit http://doh.gov.uk/nhsexipu/strategy/overview.
Northgate Information Solutions Boundary Way, Hemel HempsteadLast Updated: 29 Nov 2001