The way we were - 06.07.89: just what the doctors ordered

Skills shortages in the IT sector seem to be much like the poor - they have always been with us. While there has been much talk of the severity of the problem in the UK in the past few weeks, Computing was running similar stories more than 10 years ago.

This one from 1989 concerns another sector that has been in the news in recent weeks for having skills shortages of its own - the National Health Service.

6 July 1989

The NHS decided to end its shortage of skilled computer staff by training one million nurses, doctors, and other staff in basic IT skills.

The information management and technology training strategy, as it was called by the Department of Health, allowed regional health authorities to pay selected employees up to 30% above the normal pay scale.

The reaction from public service unions was immediate, with the scheme slammed as 'wishful thinking', accompanied by warnings of impact on patient care.

'There is a need for more staff to have IT skills, but teaching IT skills to nursing staff doesn't mean they can do their jobs better, warned a spokesman for white collar union Nalgo: 'Time spent on this kind of training means less time will be spent on patient care,'

NHS Training Authority chief executive Tina Townsend defended the £4.5 million plan. 'It makes eminent sense to train our own staff. It is less likely that we will lose qualified staff if we invest in our own people who are committed to working in the health service.'

However, the scheme was also criticised by Mike Fairey, director of planning and information technology at the NHS. 'The idea that a flexible structure or an in-house training scheme will solve the NHS' problems is a lot of wishful thinking,' he said.

The previous week, Computing had warned that another public service was threatened by the skills shortage. While the plight of the NHS may have held readers' attention, this service presumably attracted less sympathy - a shortage of computer staff at Customs & Excise meant large amounts of VAT had been uncollected.