Granger highlights progress of one of the world's largest civil IT projects
Progress on the £6.2 billion IT modernisation of the National Health Service has "exceeded expectations" despite the obstacles to its success, according to one of the programme's key architects.
Two years into the programme's implementation Richard Granger, Connecting for Health's Chief Executive points to over two million people - patients, doctors and other NHS professsionals - having already been helped by the new systems.
The NHS IT Director General's remarks come from his foreword to Connecting for Health's first annual report, published on 16 June.
Against a backdrop of reported problems and issues with suppliers, staff and buy-in from health professionals, Mr Granger claims that the programme has been recognised worldwide as "a model for other countries for follow".
Delivering a highly upbeat summary of the programme's achievements, he writes that Connecting for Health's work to date "represents encouraging progress and bodes well for achievement on our plans over the coming years."
Another development from the annual report, not thought to have been previously announced, is its claim that central purchasing of core systems and services will save the NHS in England an estimated £3.8 bn over 10 years.
Other supplier arrangements, says the report, will bring procurement savings in the region of £150 million.
Achievements highlighted by Mr Granger include:
- The first electronic prescription issued in February 2005
- The first nationally indexed Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) is now live
- Broadband access for 350,000 NHS workers via N3
- QMAS has over 20,000 users across 8,800 practices and, over the past financial year, facilitated payment of £1.2 billion to practices participating in the Quality and Outcomes Framework.
- Over 30,000 clinicians are now registered users of the NHS Care Records Service data 'spine'
- Over 124,000 users are registered with the NHS' secure email and directory service and over 50 million email messages were sent and received between 1 January and 31 May 2005.
Related Links
NHS Programme for IT Annual Report 2004-05 (PDF: 929KB)
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