Connecting for Health has failed to appoint a senior
security director to oversee IT security across the NHS National
Programme for IT despite a year-long search.
The government agency behind the NHS IT programme advertised the
board-level position last year, but it has so far failed to find a
candidate with the right skills and qualifications.
"The post of director of IT security and information governance
has not yet been filled. We continue to seek a suitable candidate,"
said a Connecting for Health spokesman.
Security analysts said Connecting for Health may have struggled
to fill the post owing to the limited pool of specialists in the
UK, particularly with the salary levels offered in the public
sector.
"There are not many people around at that sort of level with
that sort of experience. We are looking at the top dozen in the
country. You then get down to whether the salaries are enough to
attract those people who are on very good salaries already," said
Graham Titterington, principal analyst at Ovum.
"In the NHS, you have lots of different platforms, lots of
different issues, lots of concerns. You do need someone with broad
and deep expertise."
The position may also be politically challenging, following
concerns raised by GPs over the security of some National Programme
systems and issues of confidentiality of patient data.
The security director will be responsible for developing and
implementing an information governance programme, including
confidentiality, as well as data integrity for both the NHS and the
National Programme for IT.
Connecting for Health hired recruitment company Harvey Nash to
look for senior IT security and information governance specialists
with at least five years' experience with a large organisation and
practical experience of governance and security on major technology
programmes.
The post appeared on the Harvey Nash website in June last year,
and it was re-advertised in The Times in November. The
posting has since disappeared from the Harvey Nash website.
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