Computerised records ‘will make NHS more efficient’

The NHS Confederation has said that the new NHS-wide computer system will make patient records more readily available and improve its efficiency.

The massive IT project, known as Connecting for Health, has been the subject of much criticism due to the cost of the project, which could be as high as 20 billion pounds. The National Audit Office is expected publish a report later today that could criticise the cost overruns. Originally, the budget was 2.3 billion pounds for the development of the project and 6.2 billion for its implementation.

However, Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the new system would bring benefits to both doctors and patients, once completed.

She told BBC One’s Breakfast programme: “Any time you go to hospital your records will be available to the doctor and nurse and you would be surprised with our current paper-based system [how often] records aren’t available when you need them.”

Dr Richard Vautry of the British Medical Association’s GPs panel, spoke to BBC Radio Four’s Today programme about the system and commented: “When we have got it to work within the practice, it has been a very hit-and-miss affair. Often it does work reasonably well and I think the more you get experience of it, then it does start to work for you.”

He concluded by saying that the biggest problem to overcome for many practises was the unreliability of the system.

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