NPfIT to review approach to stakeholder engagement

Tags: A Community DH Engagement Granger Halligan Information integration iS

04 May 2004

The NHS National Programme for Information Technology (NPfIT) has announced a review of its formal arrangements for engaging the NHS, patients and other stakeholders, in order to support the effective implementation of the NPfIT.

As part of this new approach the national programme is to create a new Front Line Support Academy to help NHS leaders with new technology.

The announcements came on Friday, a day after the FT had reported that Professor Peter Hutton, until April chairman of the National Clinical Advisory Board, had criticised the national programme's approach to clinical engagement and expressed concerns about key aspects of the implementation of the NHS IT modernisation programme.

According to the DH the first students are already booked to begin tuition at the new Academy in mid-May. The Academy will include simulators which will mock-up realistic environments like hospital wards and GPs’ surgeries and where clinicians will learn how best to use new systems with actors playing the role of patients.

Apparently referring to the criticisms of Professor Hutton last week, health minister John Hutton said, "a programme of this scale and complexity will have issues to deal with as its work unfolds", he said that now systems had been procured the most important thing was engage and build trust with a wide range of stakeholders.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer, and joint Director General of the national programme, Professor Aidan Halligan said the implementation phase had now been reached: "We are, if you like, in the departure lounge ready for the next part of the journey. We know that our work will only succeed with the support of the medical community and patients alike.

Professor Halligan said he was committed to "broader and deeper dialogue", and would be meeting and talking with people, inside and outside the health service, beginning with a tour of frontline trusts over the next month.

Director General of NHS IT, Richard Granger said: “We want to build on our early work and further strengthen the integration of technology into core clinical practice. Aidan’s appointment, style and ideas for the next phase of the programme are most welcome

Readers Comments

I suppose a patient is also a stakeholder

rsarson@blueyonder.co.uk

07 May 04 12:32

At the end of a routine check-up with a consultant endocrinologist, I asked: What do think of the e-booking initiative to be implemented in the next year? Never heard of it. Have you heard of the NPfIT? No, but I think my hospital IT manager is not impressive. He is always trying to implement generic systems, which do not take account of specific clinical needs, without consulting me. What do you think of GP systems? More advanced than hospital systems, but PCTs are a pain, because one local PCT has refused to implement a diabetes monitoring system I would like to use across the area.

It needs more than an Academy to change these attitudes, and if there was to be one, it should have been set up three years ago. It is not my job as a patient to tell consultants about the NPfIT. But nobody else seems to be doing it. So I'll carry on until somebody does.

What leaders? and where are we being led?

mary.hawking@nhs.net

08 May 04 08:50

Isn't the establishment of a Front Line Academy to train leaders of the NHS in new systems a bit premature? Even if the "leaders" - however selected - had either mandate or power to lead the troops... I'm a GP. One of my problems is total lack of information about the new systems about to be imposed upon me - and my hospital colleagues. I do not even know whether the particular requirements of General Practice have been included in the design process. Training in the use of new systems implies that the new systems exist. If they do, why the secrecy? and if they don't, what use is the training?

I like the analogy of the departure lounge: I would, however, prefer a desired destination to a mystery tour!