The NHS has withdrawn from its official website a
management briefing paper that included a list of "significant
problems" in the government's £2.3bn modernisation plan for health
service IT.
Although the paper had been available on the NHS website for
several weeks, it was withdrawn from the NHS National Electronic
Library for Health a day after Computer Weekly questioned the
Department of Health about points raised by the paper.
The department said the paper had been withdrawn last week because
"it is still in the process of review".
The intention of the management paper was to brief NHS managers on
government plans for IT-led reforms and what the strategy would
mean to them. The paper supported the objectives of the plans and
urged managers and clinicians to become involved in the national
programme for IT (NPfIT) - a strategy to introduce electronic
health records, e-prescriptions, online appointment booking and a
new technology infrastructure.
The paper said the NPfIT had adhered well to its declared timetable
but added that within the Department of Health's overall IT plans,
and within the NPfIT, there were "perceived to be numerous
significant problems and weaknesses".
Its wide-ranging criticisms of the way the NPfIT is being
implemented - many of which echo those raised by Computer Weekly -
included a lack of clarity about local NHS trusts' funding levels
and a concern that insufficient attention had been paid to the
cultural and organisational issues. The paper also said the
timetable for implementing the NpFIT was "very tight", and warned
that this could mean that IT systems would not be adequately
tested.
Another concern was that insufficient effort had been made to
involve some medical groups and clinical specialities when drawing
up plans for the Integrated Care Records Service. This service is
designed to implement Tony Blair's plan for every patient to have
an electronic health record by the end of 2005.
The briefing paper went on to say there were concerns about the
quality of data that would be included on a national data spine of
personal health information. The spine is due to go live by the end
of next year.
The paper was written by Catherine Ebenezer, a former NHS librarian
and now IS manager at the Royal College of Midwives. She declined
to comment on its withdrawal.
Computer Weekly put to the NPfIT all of the 13 points which were
listed as significant problems and weaknesses.
A spokesperson for the NPfIT replied, "The national programme has
made efforts to view the management briefing paper submitted to the
NHS National Electronic Library for Health website that covers
areas relating to the NPfIT.
"It understands that the report in question is currently
unavailable as it is still in the process of review. In the absence
of access to the full text of the paper and the context of the
references to the national programme, it is unable to comment at
this time."