§ Baroness Noakesasked Her Majesty's Government:
In relation to the information management and technology changes required to support the target that all patients and their general practitioners will be able to book hospital appointments at both a time and a place that is convenient to the patient:
- (a) what is the status of the project;
- (b) when they expect to give final approval;
- (c) how much implementation will cost, analysed between hardware, software and other costs:
- (d) in which years expenditure is expected to take place; and
- (e) whether ring-fenced monies will be made available to the National Health Service trusts to meet the expenditure; and [HL2695]
How they reconcile the target that 100 per cent of bookings of patients from general practitioners to out-patients departments, or from out-patients to day-case or in-patients' departments, should he made electronically as contained in Building the Information Core—Implementing the NHS Plan with the statement in the addendum to paragraph 6 of the executive summary of the outline business case for electronic booking systems that "there is no specific target for 100 per cent electronic booking; and [HL2696]
Whether they regard the booking of hospital appointments by telephone as being made electronically for the purposes of the target set out in Building the Information Core—Implementing the NHS Plan; and, if so, how much of 100 per cent target they expect to be met by telephone bookings. [HL2697]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThe NHS Plan targets for hooked admissions are: two-thirds of all out-patient appointments and in-patient elective admissions will be pre-booked by 31 March 2004; 100 per cent outpatient appointments and in-patient elective admissions will be pre-booked by 31 December 2005.
191WAThe NHS Plan also says there will be electronic booking of appointments for patient treatment by 31 December 2005. There is no target for 100 per cent electronic booking by 2005, although it is clear that a high level of electronic booking will be essential to meet the NHS Plan targets. The wording in Building the Information Core: Implementing the NHS Plan is intended to reflect this aim, not to create an additional target to those in the NHS Plan.
An outline business case (OBC) for electronic booking systems has been completed. Further business cases will be completed as the project progresses beginning with the procurement business case. The proposed approach to procurement is to use the NHScat—IT catalogue to list services and products that can be "called off" by local health communities as they implement local transaction broking solutions. Plans are that a catalogue of implementation services will be in place by autumn 2002, with hardware and software products in the catalogue by winter of 2002.
The OBC proposes a framework for implementing electronic booking systems. The framework was developed in consultation with stakeholders. It is based around local health communities, not individual trusts, and will allow them to implement locally based solutions within a consistent common national framework. It builds on the national information and IT infrastructure. The OBC can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/nhsplanbookingsystems/. A copy has been placed in the Library.
Estimated costs are included in the OBC. Funding for 2003–04 will be mainly included in general allocations. However some funding will be met centrally. The method for issuing funding in future years will be determined in due course.
The proposed framework for electronic booking includes a booking management service component. This is a call centre-based service linked with NHS Direct. It will support patients and healthcare professionals in making, amending and cancelling appointments on a 24-hour, seven days per week basis. This will also provide a convenient and flexible way for patients to book their appointments. Bookings made via a call centre will be booked electronically by the call centre with the relevant provider, using the same sort of computer systems as support direct booking by general practitioners.