§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to involve(a) clinicians and (b) end users in the development of the NHS IT system; and if he will make a statement. [173092]
§ Mr. HuttonI have appointed Professor Aidan Halligan, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, as joint senior responsible owner and director general for the national programme for information technology (NPfIT). Professor Halligan now leads on work to engage doctors and other clinicians to ensure that the national health service IT system meets the needs of users and supports the Government's priority of improving patient treatment.
On 30 April 2004, we announced plans to further improve engagement with NHS stakeholders to support the implementation of the NpflT. We have set up a new frontline support academy for clinicians. We are currently reviewing the formal arrangements for engaging with the NHS, patients and other stakeholders and we expect to make an announcement on this later in the summer.
538WExtensive consultation has already taken place with clinical representative groups, including the professional Royal Colleges, the General Medical Council and the British Medical Council, all of whom have provided valuable input. As well as the national professional bodies and groups, the NPfIT team has also engaged closely with expert primary care practitioners, including practising general practitioners. This consultation helped to inform the requirement which was published in the system's output-based specification. Clinicians and users were also involved in evaluating the proof of solution demonstrators developed by suppliers and in evaluating the supplier bids.
In all, the NPfIT has to date hosted around 400 local events involving managers, clinicians, allied health professionals and IT staff. Over 21,000 individuals have been involved as part of a concerted effort to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to influence local plans to prepare for phased implementation from summer 2004.