New developments in national programme for IT
Alan Burns chief executive of Trent Strategic Health Authority has been seconded to lead the service implementation of the national programme for IT (NPfIT). In this role, he has appointed five “national clinical
champions” to focus on improving communication about the programme.
However, none of the clinical champions are from a pharmacy background.
Will Willson, principal pharmacist for information and supply at Addenbrookes
Hospital NHS Trust, Cambridgeshire told Hospital Pharmacist that while
it is disappointing that pharmacists are not among the clinical champions
it is important for pharmacy staff to engage with the NPfIT at ground
level. For example, NPfIT is seeking to engage with users and pharmacists
can visit its Care
Record Development Board site
to register their interest and views. Likewise they should endeavour
to get involved with initiatives lead by strategic health authorities. “We
need to be working together to feed our views into these champions, make
them aware of the issues,” said Mr Willson. He stressed that it
is in pharmacy’s best interest to do so, because the outcome of
NPfIT will support the most fundamental rethink of health care provision
ever seen which will pose many challenges to the unprepared. “This
is a once in a life time opportunity that we have to grasp”, he
said.
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Hospital Pharmacist