Taskforce set up to aid implementation of care record, but no pharmacy representation
Arrangements for a taskforce to aid the introduction of the first phase of the NHS Care Records Service have been confirmed by health minister Lord Warner.
Lord Warner first announced plans for the taskforce as the National Audit
Office published its review
of the National Programme for IT’s
progress earlier in the summer (PJ, 24 June 2006, p741). The NHS Summary
Care Record Taskforce will be chaired by Harry Cayton, national director
for patients and the public at the Department of Health, and members
include doctors, nurses and patient representatives, but not pharmacists.
Commenting on the lack of pharmacy representation on the taskforce, David
Pruce, director of practice and quality improvement at the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society, told The Journal: “Although we are disappointed that pharmacy
is not represented on the taskforce, we are confident that [the taskforce]
wants to take account of pharmacy’s issues. We have contacted Harry
Cayton and he has asked us to collate our views on the electronic patient
record.”
The taskforce will, in conjunction with NHS Connecting for Health, draw
up a plan for implementing the summary care record. The group is charged
with identifying and addressing concerns of patients and the clinical
profession about the creation of the summary care record, which is scheduled
to be introduced from early 2007 and rolled out fully during 2008. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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