Press release: NHS confederation respond to NAO report on connecting for health

16 Jun 2006

Commenting on the National Audit Office (NAO) report on the National Programme for IT, Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS confederation which represents over 90 per cent of NHS organisations, said:

"Today's NAO report recognises that significant progress has been made in the development of the National Programme for IT, but asserts that key issues remain.

"The key challenge now is to make sure that all NHS staff, especially the clinicians who will be using the new IT system, are fully engaged with the project as it moves forward.

"This is essential, because the benefits of a national IT system that allows patients' information to be shared quickly and easily across organisations, and integrates services through cutting edge technology, are immense.

"This is the most complex IT programme in any public sector organisation, apart from the military. A programme of this magnitude is bound to experience some problems and delays, and create concerns.

"But we must remember that whilst it is regarded as an IT project, it is actually about transforming services for patients. And the biggest outcome that the programme should be judged on is patient safety."

ENDS

 

Notes for editors

1. The NHS Confederation represents more than 90 per cent of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland. 

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