The chief executive of a foundation trust has explained
why his board is to buy a patient record system on the open market
without waiting for the "free" Lorenzo software which is due for
delivery under theNHS IT scheme.
Interviewed by Computer Weekly, Brian James, chief executive of
the Rotherham trust, said his board is expected to make a decision
on a supplier of patient administration and clinical systems
shortly, having run an open competitive tender.
The
Lorenzo software from CSC, the government's appointed supplier
of IT to trusts in the north of England, is not on Rotherham's
shortlist.
Rotherham's decision to spend millions of pounds on its own
choice of hospital software means it can advance its IT-based
modernisation plans without waiting for Lorenzo to be delivered
under the £12.7bn National Programme for IT (NPfIT). Rotherham
Hospital is already a top performer in the Yorkshire and Humber
region.
The decision by Rotherham's board of directors to buy their own
choice of patient administration system shows that semi-autonomous
foundation trusts can buy outside of the NPfIT if their business
cases justify it.
In contrast, the boards of most trusts are under more of an
obligation to accept assurances of delivery dates given by NPfIT
suppliers and Whitehall officials, even when the dates slip
repeatedly.
If most foundation trusts buy their own hospital systems it will
further undermine the National Programme for IT.
Contracts put in place by Whitehall officials give local service
providers CSC and BT guarantees of a minimum amount of business
which rely on trusts buying the
Cerner Millennium system in London and the south of England and
the Lorenzo software elsewhere in England.
Taxpayers may have to fund compensation or the equivalent to BT
or CSC if trusts buy patient record systems elsewhere.
James said that his board had been unable to obtain firm dates
for the delivery of Lorenzo. Originally the trust had hoped to
install Lorenzo in 2006/7 but the software has been delayed by
several years.
James said, "We did as much investigation as we felt practical
as to whether it [Lorenzo] would be deliverable in a form that
would be acceptable by 2010, and our assessment was that it would
be possible but unlikely."
Rotherham has argued that its purchase will be an "interim"
system - even though there are no plans to replace it within eight
years. Interim systems can be bought under the NPfIT but usually
only from suppliers which have been specifically approved by NHS
Connecting for Health, part of the Department of Health.
James said that the trust's new systems must be able to link to
the NPfIT data "spine" and meet the NPfIT's e-records
standards.
Asked about the lack of guaranteed delivery dates for Lorenzo, a
spokeswoman for CSC said, "CSC can't discuss detailed
implementation plans for individual trusts."
James has IT strong credentials, including a master's degree in
health information management and executive experience implementing
NHS systems.
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