§ Baroness Noakesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they agree with the assessment of the Audit Commission in its report A Spoonful of Sugar that less than 10 per cent of National Health Service trusts will meet the 2005 deadline for the implementation of electronic patient records. [HL2431]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)Level 3 electronic patient records involves the implementation of four specific elements—results reporting, order communications, electronic prescribing and integrated care pathways. The Department of Health has recently collected data from National Health Service trusts about their implementation status and plans. This shows that good progress is being made on the implementation of results reporting and order communications. We are considering how NHS trusts can be supported to tackle the challenges posed by the implementation of electronic prescribing and the phasing of integrated care pathways across prioritised specialities.