NPfIT's Summary Care Records system suspended

Move is welcomed by the British Medical Association

Summary Care Records System suspended

One of the most controversial elements of the NPfIT, the Summary Care Records (SCR) system, has been suspended following industry criticism of a rushed implementation.

The SCR system was criticised by the British Medical Association (BMA) last month in a letter to health minister Mike O’Brien. The letter said there were some privacy concerns around the scheme and that patients should be able to "opt out" if they wanted.

Dr Grant Ingrams, chairman of the BMA’s GP IT committee, said that the move to suspend the SCR system was a positive one.

“We welcome the decision to suspend uploads. Summary Care Records have the potential to improve healthcare for patients if implemented appropriately. We will work with government in future to ensure that the many concerns of patients and doctors are listened to and addressed.”

The Department of Health (DoH0 said the rollout would be delayed until there was better awareness of the scheme.

Separately, the government recently signed an NPfIT contract with BT locking the next government into a contract that will see the delivery of the NPfIT reduced in scale. Chief executive of NHS London Ruth Carnall said: “The deal means [the NPfIT] will no longer provide the comprehensive solution anticipated in 2003.”

BT will be paid about £900m, the original contract had been for £1bn.

Public sector analyst for Ovum Mike Davis explained that the contract actually affords flexibility. "NHS trusts in London can now choose their own software and an alternative supplier if they want to,” he said.

Although choosing their own provider will cost individual trusts money upfront, some, such as Ipswich, have opted to choose their own software and system integrator to implement an Electronic Patient Records (EPR) system because they believe it would be more cost-efficient in the long run.

The EPR means that the region's hospitals’ billing systems are more efficient, thereby guaranteeing payment from their Primary Care Trust.

Although the Tories have said they would look to dismantle the NPfIT, Ovum's Davis argued that in reality there will be no official dismantling of the NPfIT because so many parts are up and running – however, elements of it may begin to start unravelling over time as more trusts begin to choose their own software and system integrator.

“My advice to any new government is to leave the NHS and the NPfIT alone. Coping with the changes [caused by the NPfIT] has been incredibly difficult for the health service – there are so many fiefdoms and hierarchies within the NHS that change has to be managed very carefully.”