NHS IT, Records and Data

Jeremy Hunt appoints IT expert to review NHS computer systems

The health secretary has appointed an American IT expert to review computer systems across the NHS, including electronic health records.

Professor Bob Wachter’s review, ‘Making IT work: harnessing the power of health IT to improve care in England’, will look at places where IT has worked well in the NHS, places where it needs improving and different ways to implement IT in healthcare as the NHS works towards being paperless by 2020.

Professor Wachter, interim chairman in the Department of Medicine, University of California, and author of ‘The Digital Doctor’, said: “It’s essential that information technology across the NHS works well and can perform the tasks needed to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care.

“I am looking forward to finding out about some of the great work taking place across the NHS and highlighting areas for improvement.”

The review, which will report back to the government in June, will be formed of an advisory committee, the National Advisory Group on Health Information Technology in England.

Jeremy Hunt said: “Improving the standard of care patients receive even further means embracing technology and moving towards a fully digital and paperless NHS.

“NHS staff do incredible work every day and we must give them and patients the most up-to-date technology – this review will tell us where we need to go further.”