13.01.11
IT cuts will hit information revolution, doctors warn
The BMA has warned that not enough NHS organisations have the systems in place to cope with the proposed transformation in healthcare information collection and sharing.
The Government’s ‘Information Revolution’ consultation outlines plans for patients in England to get more access to NHS data and more control over their records and who to share them with.
The BMA said it agreed with that principle, but warned that as NHS organisations make cutbacks, IT departments and infrastructure are likely casualties.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, a GP and member of the BMA’s Working Party on IT, says: “Improving NHS IT while the NHS is under huge financial pressure will be extremely challenging. Delivering the information revolution cost-effectively and equitably will depend on building on the systems that are currently in place and working well, and on involving clinicians.
“While the principle of patients controlling aspects of their records is a good one, there must be safeguards to reduce the risks involved in sharing such sensitive data. Even if a patient validly decides to share part of their records, for example via an online support forum, they will effectively lose control once posting it.
“The role of clinicians in helping patients protect their own data, and interpreting and explaining information will be vital. The experience of doctors is often that when patients are presented with data to inform their choices, they still value the views of the professionals caring for them.”
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