08 Dec 2009
Amidst speculation that the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Pre Budget Report will announce cuts to the NHS IT programme, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has made urgent representations to the Treasury and the Department of Health.
Chancellor Alistair Darling hinted to journalists at the weekend that parts of the National Programme for IT could be postponed to save funds. In a parliamentary debate on Monday, the Health Secretary confirmed that he would identify £600 million of saving from “paring back” the IT programme to its core elements.
John Turk, NPA Chief Executive said: “Of course, all Government programmes, including NHS IT, should be periodically reviewed for cost-effectiveness. However, useful projects must not be undermined by budget cuts made in desperation.”
“The NPA believes that there would be significant gains for patient care from speedy implementation of the shared electronic record. To maximise patient safety and improve the quality of care, frontline clinicians including pharmacists should have appropriate access to clinical records. What’s more, enabling pharmacist access to patient care records could facilitate the development of new services closer to where people live, work and shop, thereby achieving cost savings through service redesign.”
“As to electronic transfer of prescriptions, it is our view that national deployment of ‘EPS Release 2’ should commence once a truly representative group of end users have had the opportunity to scrutinize EPS2 – thoroughly and openly - and to express a considered view to decision-makers, furnished with all the facts necessary to come to an informed conclusion about the risks and benefits. Consensus views from the end-user community should direct next steps in the roll-out. If electronic prescribing is to be set on a sustainable footing, it must be business functional and supported by the end-users who have the greatest stake in its success or failure.”
Conscious of certain policy statements made by the Conservative Opposition, the NPA made its position clear in response to a Conservative consultation in the early Autumn. However, the Association intends to re-visit the issues with front bench teams again in the light of the increasing pressure to reign in the public finances.
