BCS group speaks out on NHS IT

Partnerships and innovation will be crucial to the success of the £2.3bn National Programme for NHS IT, according to a British Computer Society (BCS) think tank.

The Radical Steps group includes members from academia, suppliers and operational NHS staff and meets twice yearly to consider issues facing health service IT implementation.

BCS Health Informatics Committee chairman Jean Roberts told Computing that there is sufficient enthusiasm to make the National Programme work, but that concerns remain.

'It's not just about money, it's about freeing up time to develop staff - within a framework of recognising that they have day jobs as well,' she said.

Partnerships are crucial, says Roberts.

'There are a lot of dimensions to partnership - between the National Programme and suppliers, the National Programme and the NHS, the health service and the public. Channels of communication and understanding between the different groups not currently at high enough level,' she said.

'There is some worry that niche product providers are not able to work on interfaces because the contracts are being kept commercially in confidence among a limited group of suppliers.'