§ Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation has been undertaken with healthcare professionals before the awarding of contracts under the National Programme for Information Technology; and if he will make a statement. [162186]
§ Mr. Hutton: Extensive consultation has 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 national programme for information technology (NPfIT) team has engaged closely with expert primary care practitioners, including practising general practitioners, who are there to represent and feedback issues with their professional colleagues.
The National Clinical Advisory Board has ensured that the wide-ranging clinical needs and requirements are reflected in the design of the NPfIT solutions and integrated into the ongoing plans of the programme. There are currently 29 full members and 12 working groups covering a variety of care settings, from cancer care to out of hours care.
1136WThe NPfIT to date has hosted around 400 local events, engaging managers, clinicians, allied health professionals and IT staff. Over 21,000 individuals have been involved. We are undertaking a concerted effort to ensure as many people as possible are now engaged on the local plans to prepare for phased roll out after April 2004.