04.11.16
NHS information governance faces ‘difficult times’ ahead with STPs
Information governance (IG) professionals face a “challenge” ahead as the NHS pushes forward its controversial sustainability and transformation plans (STPs), NHE has been told.
Talking to NHE about the challenges facing the sector, Stephen Elgar from the Information Governance Alliance (IGA) said that historically IG has focused on compliance, but now it has to be more flexible and nimble to support the business change processes coming out of STPs.
Elgar noted that IG professionals will rise to the challenge of this model, but it is about “rapid change”. He added that the IGA, which is the authoritative source of advice and guidance about the rules on using information in health and care, will provide support, “but it is going to be a real challenge”.
Discussing the STPs, Elgar noted that each area has also had to draw up a Local Digital Roadmap (LDR), which outlines a plan for moving paperless by 2020, including IT and systems upgrades.
“The LDRs are being mapped against the STPs,” he said. “But I don’t believe that they are coterminous, necessarily.
“LDRs already provide the plans for investment. The STPs mean that there is a plan for financial balance, and lowering costs, and I think there will be a huge drive for merging the whole trust, back-office services across trusts and outsourcing – all of which have an information governance dimension.”
Elgar added that because IG professionals will be risk-assessing new initiatives and solutions as part of the STPs, “it is going to be tough times ahead”. However, he added it will also be very exciting, because “we are moving to a new world in the NHS”.
“We are not going to accept an NHS without strong technology,” said Elgar. “But it is going to be directors of finance saying ‘how can we do things better with less money, without losing quality’. That is the game. It is going to be tricky.”
A full interview with Stephen Elgar will feature in the November/December issue of NHE.