This week, eHealth Insider has launched a major campaign, calling for every NHS provider organisation to consider appointing a chief clinical information officer to champion information projects. We believe the development of clinical information leaders is a key step required to help ensure the NHS maximises the full potential of information to support clinical care.

The first step has been to issue an open letter to health secretary Andrew Lansley, urging him to back the campaign as part of the Information Revolution.

The EHI CCIO Campaign is already being backed by The Royal College of Physicians and BCS Health; watch out for the launch of a dedicated campaign website and more information on how you can get involved.

The need for leadership on NHS IT was underlined by the surprise news of the resignation of Christine Connelly as the Department of Health’s director general for informatics.

For three years Connelly sought to shift debate beyond the National Programme for IT in the NHS to the wider information agenda, she leaves with the programme in crisis and its future perilous.

Most close observers of the NHS IT scene feel that Connelly had a difficult and thankless job. Opinion is divided on whether she did as much with it as she might have done and what her legacy will be. Her immediate successor, Katie Davis from the Cabinet Office, certainly has plenty on her plate.

EHI launches CCIO Campaign

EHealth Insider has launching a major campaign, calling for every NHS provider organisation to consider appointing a chief clinical information officer, to provide clinical leadership on IT projects and to champion the use of information.

Christine Connelly resigns as NHS CIO

Christine Connelly, the Department of Health's director general of informatics, has announced her resignation. She will leave the DH at the end of June, after almost three years in post.

NHS made £200m April advance to CSC

The NHS paid struggling local service provider CSC a £200m advance in April; just three months after notifying the firm it was in breach of its contract for the North, Midlands and East of England.

GPs complain about N3 connection speeds

GPs have claimed that N3 is inadequate to support the delivery of the government's white paper objectives and called for central renegotiation of its contract.

DH publishes early lessons from NHS 111

The Department of Health has published some lessons learned from the early implementation of NHS 111.

More trusts use telemedicine for stroke

More than 30 acute trusts have now adopted a telemedicine system designed to deliver fast and appropriate treatment to stroke victims.

Trafford docs develop PROMS tool

Doctors at Trafford General Hospital have developed and are piloting a web-based system to remotely capture patient reported outcome measures.

"[We need] an impartial, objective and fresh and thorough look at what NPfIT has delivered, how we move forward and how current investment can be adapted to meet future challenges. I for one look forward to a fresh look at all these issues. Welcome Katie [Davis]."

"I have had a fascinating and challenging time in this role and I have decided that this is the right time to step back and think about what I might do next."

Christine Connelly steps down from the top job in NHS IT.

Back in December, Christine Connelly, the Department of Health's director general of informatics and the NHS' chief information officer, penned a piece for eHealth Insider setting out her hopes for 2011. She said she had two ambitions for the coming year; to see the health service publishing ‘unpolished' data and to see GPs communicating with their patients by email.

These, she suggested, would be useful building blocks for the government's promised Information Revolution. Oddly, Connelly didn't say she hoped to be hauled in front of the PAC to explain another coruscating NAO report on NPfIT. Or that she hoped to depart by the end of June. Or that she hoped the information revolution would be held up until this autumn at the earliest. Wonder what's on the wish-list of her replacement, Katie Davis?

Andy Kinnear

Andy Kinnear, head of the Avon IM&T consortium, sets out the three key principles he believes the national informatics strategy needs to include going forward.