The danger of wrong data on an NPfIT system: a man with cancer couldn't make an appointment because a local Choose and Book system showed he was dead.
The Daily Mail reports the story under the headline:
"Sorry, you can't have an appointment... you're dead: Hospital refuses to see cancer sufferer because he's deceased."
At first glance the story could be vaguely amusing - if you're not the man involved; and if you ignore the fact that the government is continuing with uploads of incorrect data to NPfIT systems.
A report by University College London is due to be published tomorrow which will highlight inconsistencies, omissions and inaccuracies in data uploaded to the BT-run Summary Care Record database. The uploads will continue despite the well-informed criticisms of the scheme in the report.
The report's research was led by Professor Trisha Greenhalgh who spoke with force and authority at the Smartgov conference in London yesterday. She criticised the government for continuing with the summary care records without taking any notice of what's in her team's report. This is despite taxpayers having spent nearly £1m on the Greenhalgh-led SCR research.
Summary of the Daily Mail story:
Alan Campbell rang a local Choose and Book helpline for an appointment because he was concerned that cancer might have spread to his throat.
Campbell had seen his GP who had given him a Choose and Book Unique Booking Reference Number.
When he rang the helpline a telephone operator said the system showed him as "deceased".
The operator insisted that Campbell go back to his GP to "sort it out". But the delay in a diagosis could make matters worse.
The 63-year-old widower from Little Harwood, Blackburn said: "It is unbelievable that they could get something like this so wrong."
He added: "I'm not one for complaining, but when somebody says you're dead its not on."
The story doesn't end there. Campbell - who has survived a stroke and a heart attack - tried to sort it out with his doctor and was told the problem had been resolved. But when he phoned the Choose and Book service again he was told he was still dead.
Campbell pointed out that he was alive and asked for an appointment but the operator argued repeatedly with him.
NHS Blackburn told the Daily Mail it was trying to find an appointment as early as possible for Campbell.
Janice Horrocks, executive director of Engagement Partnerships and Operational Development, said:
'We would like to reassure patients that using the Choose and Book system, which allows you to choose the hospital, time and date of your appointment, remains the fastest route to getting the quickest and most convenient hospital appointment for the care that you need."
**
Thank you to GP Neil Bhatia for forwarding the D Mail story
Links:
Trisha Greenhalgh on summary care records at Smartgov
Sorry you can't have an appointment you're dead - Daily Mail
Highlights of confidential report on summary care records - IT Projects Blog
Alan Campbell rang a local Choose and Book helpline for an appointment because he was concerned that cancer might have spread to his throat.
Campbell had seen his GP who had given him a Choose and Book Unique Booking Reference Number.
When he rang the helpline a telephone operator said the system showed him as "deceased".
The operator insisted that Campbell go back to his GP to "sort it out". But the delay in a diagosis could make matters worse.
The 63-year-old widower from Little Harwood, Blackburn said: "It is unbelievable that they could get something like this so wrong."
He added: "I'm not one for complaining, but when somebody says you're dead its not on."
The story doesn't end there. Campbell - who has survived a stroke and a heart attack - tried to sort it out with his doctor and was told the problem had been resolved. But when he phoned the Choose and Book service again he was told he was still dead.
Campbell pointed out that he was alive and asked for an appointment but the operator argued repeatedly with him.
NHS Blackburn told the Daily Mail it was trying to find an appointment as early as possible for Campbell.
Janice Horrocks, executive director of Engagement Partnerships and Operational Development, said:
'We would like to reassure patients that using the Choose and Book system, which allows you to choose the hospital, time and date of your appointment, remains the fastest route to getting the quickest and most convenient hospital appointment for the care that you need."
**
Thank you to GP Neil Bhatia for forwarding the D Mail story
Links:
Trisha Greenhalgh on summary care records at Smartgov
Sorry you can't have an appointment you're dead - Daily Mail
Highlights of confidential report on summary care records - IT Projects Blog
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What a load of nonsense! Do you research any of this stuff before you publish it?!
If the patients record had been marked as deceased on BT's demographic service then all the Choose and Book system would have done is pop up with a warning message saying that the patient was deceased and would the user like to continue. It would not have prevented the patient being booked.
It's a terrible shame that this patient suffered a bad expereince in this situation but this had nothing to do with Choose and Book. It is a straight forward training issue and nothing more.