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Dept of Health

Answer

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Programme for IT has been subject to testing and user feedback to ensure that it will work as efficiently as the current system. [190172] Mr. Hutton: Many of the components which the National Programme for Information Technology (NPfIT) will deliver across the national health service are already in use at a local level and many of the technologies are already well proven. There have also been a number of pilot projects to examine the operation of electronic booking which has been in existence in England in this form since 2002. These have demonstrated that where patients participate in the booking of their appointments and admissions, they are far more likely to attend. Electronic patient records and electronic prescribing are examples of existing systems already in use at a local level and the NPfIT has received feedback on the advantages of these systems from clinicians, managers and administrators. Consultation and dialogue with clinical and other professional representative groups has been central to the NPfIT at all stages. As well as the national professional bodies and groups, the NPfIT team has also engaged closely with individual expert primary care practitioners, including practising general practitioners. This consultation helped to inform the user requirement which was published in the NPflT'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 bid. In the procurement and delivery process, particularly in the development and testing phases, representative stakeholders are being consulted to ensure that their requirements and concerns are taken into account and that a proper focus on delivering benefits is maintained through all phases of the NPflT.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

425 c798-9W;425 c799W; 190172

Session

2003-04

Subjects

ICT NHS Testing

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk