Government warned of "descent into chaos" over revamp of NHS computer
Posted by Ellee on Aug 31, 2006 in Uncategorized | 10 commentsA multi-billion-pound revamp of the NHS computer system is “descending into chaos”
, warned MP Richard Bacon.
It is the biggest computer project in the world and has been blighted by technical problems and spiralling costs.
The on-the-ball South Norfolk MP, who was chosen by MPs as Backbencher of the Year for his work in exposing the foreign prisons scandal, has urged the Government to pull the plug on the scheme before it ended up “sleepwalking towards disaster”.
He is a member of the Commons Public Accounts Committee and has called for the controversial programme to be decentralised and for control to be given back to hospitals locally.
Under the government’s plans, GPs, clinics and hospitals across the country would be linked together by computer – allowing appointments to be arranged instantly and giving patients more choice on where to receive treatment.
Richard believes hospital chief executives across the country should instead be given personal responsibility – and funding – for purchasing computer systems locally.
As things stand, the upgrade of NHS computers, the largest IT project in the world, has been dogged by controversy and criticised for over-centralisation. Crucially, it does not have the confidence of clinical staff.
And the programme’s largest software supplier, iSoft, is under investigation by the Financial Services Authority for possible accounting irregularities.
Richard warned:
“The National Programme for IT in the NHS is currently sleepwalking towards disaster. It is far behind schedule. Projected costs have spiralled. Key software systems have little chance of ever working properly. Clinical staff are losing confidence in it. Many local trusts are considering opting out of the programme altogether.
“These problems are a consequence of over-centralisation, over-ambition and an obsession with quick political fixes.
“This programme is costing taxpayers a king’s ransom but it is descending into chaos. Our paper proposes a solution which would reduce the scale, cost and risk of the National Programme and accelerate the delivery of benefits to all NHS staff”.
It was only a short while ago that the Government faced chaos after a new computer system was blamed for delayed payments to farmers, causing hardship and financial ruin.
I don’t understand why this Government can’t install reliable, efficient computer systems that work. Don’t we have the technology? In theory, it sounds helpful to have a national shared NHS database, but can you imagine the chaos it would cause if it crashed?
If the progamme is scrapped, I wonder how much public money has been wasted. How many extra nurses salaries would it have paid for?
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NHS Medical Data Base – Government plans to put medical records on a national electronic data base. My personal view is that psychiatric files should inform the appropriate agencies if a person was genuinely potentially dangerous (to themselves or others) or if the person was in danger from others. Documentation should also inform the appropriate agencies as to the person’s level of vulnerability and need of assistance. I have very great concerns about the proposed new data base. I have seen huge amounts of paperwork concerning myself, most of it is inaccurate, misleading and open to interpretation. .
Complaints – One of the main problems service users have when complaining about mental health authorities is that the authorities decide the rules of their complaints procedure. In my experience there is also a tendency to penalize the complainer and be-little the complaint as being part of a psychiatric dysfunction. This site will campaign for greater accountability from psychiatric services. Their exists no independent authoriety, to protect the rights of mental health service users. No board of vistors, no independent complaints commision etc. This is clearly wrong and un-democratic, it is very easy to dis-couredge a mentally ill person from complaining. http://www.ticketytock.org
As I highlighted a while back, Scotland already has an NHS Database and booking system that works. How do I know? Right For Scotland was the lead consultant on it for four years.
Why won’t they sell the system to the NHS in England? Internecine rivalry, that’s why. Thus the Civil Service in Scotland is prepared to see £6.5 billion (and growing) pissed up the wall, just to get one up on their southern cousins. That’s what I call getting the best deal for taxpayers, eh?
DK
The figures are, to anyone who’s worked in large IT projects, funny money.
A customer management and booking system? For £2 billion per annum?
Easyjet’s total turnover last year was half that, and yet they seem to be able to run a system for booking people onto aircraft, which is not a bad parallel for hospital booking (limited capacity booking from multiple inputs). Oh, and actually fly people too!
Having just left the comfortable employ of NHS administrative work I can say that this story is true, particularly where it says: “The National Programme for IT in the NHS is currently sleepwalking towards disaster.”
Of course, what do they do when things go wrong? The rename the project…
The National Programme for IT in the NHS is now called: Connecting for Health
John, we are fortunate that my husband gets private health care for us all through his work, otherwise I would worry about our future health needs. I will say that Great Ormond Street has been great to my son David, that is NHS.
My father was let down badly when he died of cancer, he was treated disgracefully. I do hope the Conservatives show much more sympathy and dignity towards the care given towards the elderly.
Some of us see the NHS as a disaster in need of complete reform. Sadly, reform is unlikely without it being seen by all to have failed, so I will be cheering from the sidelines if they persevere with the IT system to the bitter end.
You might, perhaps rightly, say that my attitude is too negative, but speaking as a smoker, aged over 50 who is a few pounds overweight it seems increasingly likely that when I need any treatment I will be seen to have too many demerit points to deserve saving.
This leaves me facing a situation whereby I am forced to fund a health service which might well tell me to go away and die should I need certain treatments. I think my negativity is justified in the circumstances.
Daily Pundit, yes, Richard certainly seems to have his finger on the pulse. We could do with a few more proactive MPs like him I hope his warnings are adhered to.
Richard Bacon is a one man shadow cabinet. He deserves a medal.
The NHS Computer sounds a lot like mine; in need of a good kick, as it tends to do it’s own thing at times.