Direction promised on NHS information strategy

New clear direction on NHS IT and information strategy has been promised ‘within weeks’ by one of the leaders of the Department of Health’s informatics review.

A report in Health Service Journal, quotes review manager Tom Denwood saying current ‘chaos’ on NHS IT strategy will be resolved within weeks, with a major shake-up at the DH to establish “unified governance” and clear decision making.

The interim findings attributed to Denwood strongly indicate the review is focusing on how to pragmatically ensure the delivery of business information requirements required by the NHS now, and in support of policy priorities such as 18-week waits and practice based commissioning.

The informatics review is being led by Matthew Swindells, interim DH director general for information and programme integration.

The imminent DH IT strategy shake-up is expected to try to integrate strategic management of health and social care information, establish clear resonsibility for IT strategy and information within the DH and link policy into business information requirements.

Speaking at a conference run by CHKS, Denwood quoted as saying the review had concluded there appeared to be nobody who currently “owned the big picture” on information. “There is no one taking a strategic view over healthcare, social care and mental health.”

Denwood who was previously head of the Choose and Book programme for NHS Connecting for Health, said NHS IT leads had told the review there is currently “a complete absence of a function that translates policy into business requirements.”

E-Health Insider understands that Denwood was delivering a presentation originally due to to have been presented by Swindells.

The HSJ report adds that Denwood said a key interim finding of the review, which is due in late March, is the mistmatch between NHS activities and the amount of data available.

Highlighting the lack of information available on social care, he was quoted as saying: “Potentially there is a lot of information available where there might be little expenditure, but very little information where there is a lot of expenditure.”

Jon Hoeksma

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Link

HSJ (subscription needed)