NPfIT expert warns of "months of review" following election

Report from Health2020 looks at SCR and choose-and-book system

The Conservatives have also promised to provide trusts with a choice of service providers

A new report from think-tank 2020health was conceived out of fear of "a likely long delay in new health IT policy" following a change in government.

The author, John Cruickshank, explained that Conservative policies on health have been so high level until now that if the party became government, it would need to spend a number of months understanding how to implement its policies and design IT around them.

The report, compiled after consultation with 30 health specialists, has been praised by the Tory shadow health cabinet and presents a series of proposals for a new government. The Summary Care Records system is one area targeted, with Cruickshank arguing it should be halted and subject to a full review.

The system was initially established just to share information on urgent health matters, so if a person incurred an injury in a location away from their registered GP, doctors would be able to access a summary of their records.

However, Cruickshank argues that the system has become unwieldy, with considerably more data on each patient stored than was originally intended. " This is where privacy issues and storage become a problem," he said.

The report argues that the scope of SCR should be reduced again, making it an "urgent" care records system. It should also be rolled out slowly and with full knowledge of the patient concerned.

Another area of focus has been the government's choose-and-book scheme. This currently provides patients with a choice of four or five hospitals via a database, but has received negative publicity, with doctors complaining that the system is time consuming and requires repeated log-ins.

"The Conservatives have promised increased choice of hospitals in their manifesto, but the system barely works with the current few choices and so may not be fit for purpose," Cruickshank said.

"They need to be fully aware of the IT implications of their manifesto, and that a new system will need to be put in place to cope with that degree of choice," he added.

The Conservatives have also promised to provide trusts with a choice of service providers, thereby increasing competition and potentially driving down cost. The report details a series of tests the government should deploy to ensure they are getting appropriate services that are value for money.