The government has reaffirmed its faith in the "potential" of
the Cerner Millennium and the Lorenzo patient administration
systems to work effectively within the NHS's £12.7bn National
Programme for IT [NPfIT].
It has also pledged to ensure that NHS staff and clinicians, who
have generally been kept in the dark, are kept informed on the
timing and content of forthcoming releases of Cerner and
Lorenzo.
But it conceded that care should be taken to deploy systems only
if they are fit for purpose. Several hospitals have run up millions
of pounds in extra costs, and have had the care and treatment of
their patients disrupted, after troubled NPfIT go-lives.
The government expressed its confidence in the potential of
Cerner and Lorenzo in "Treasury Minutes", which are formal
government responses to committee reports, in this case a
report of the Public Accounts Committee on the NPfIT in January
2009.
The government accepted most of the committee's recommendations
on the NPfIT. This contrasts with 2006 when the government rejected
most of the committee's report on the NPfIT.
In its latest response the government said, "The Department [of
Health] remains confident in the potential of both Cerner's
Millennium and iSoft's Lorenzo to work effectively once deployment
and testing have been completed."
It added that trusts will not be expected to take the systems
until they work effectively. "Lorenzo will be tested fully in the
early adopter sites before national implementation begins."
Cerner is being deployed by BT as the local service provider for
London. BT is also to support Cerner sites in the south of England.
CSC is the local service provider for NHS sites in the rest of
England, where Lorenzo is due to be installed.
The government was vague and non-committal on the committee's
recommendation that unless the position on care records system
deployments improved appreciably
within six months the department should assess the financial
case for allowing trusts to request central funding for alternative
systems.
The government said, "Although the government does not agree the
six-month timetable, it does agree that the position on the
deployment of the care records service needs to improve appreciably
over the coming months The department proposes to provide the
committee with a note on [progress on the deployment of the care
records service by the end of 2009".
The government promised that a new survey of NHS staff into
their views on the NPfIT will be resumed - no survey was carried
out in 2008. It will also consider publishing an annual report of
"Serious Untoward Incidents" which involve the NPfIT, but has not
promised to do so.
The Government conceded that "previous approaches" to establish
the local costs of the NPfIT had proved unsuccessful". Officials
will consult on how best to capture these figures.
Links:
Public Accounts Committee report on the NPfIT - main findings
>>
The National Programme for IT in the NHS - NAO report 2008
>>
Public Accounts Committee gives the NPfIT six months to deliver
>>