Southern Cluster Improving Healthcare through IT John Willshere Regional Implementation Director Southern Cluster

Why an IT Strategy? Alignment to the NHS needs Restorative work essential –EPR & derivations since early 1990s Lots of good practice out there The challenge of new thinking

Context Trusts –Most systems do not support the movement of information between buildings and departments –Several records often created for the same patient

Context Primary Care –Most individual practices have their own IT applications and databases –Patient records are not easily transferred to other practices or care providers –Development and effective implementation of care pathways is inhibited –Paper-based records delay modernisation and the delivery of National Service Frameworks

Context

The history of NPfIT Sept 1998 Jan 2001 June 2002 Jan 2004 Oct 2002

Aims Common IT & information infrastructure for the core of patient care To make this successful, we must: –make information central to the running of excellent healthcare –overcome prejudice that IT has little or nothing to do with good healthcare –commit real resources to this venture –invest in an enhanced infrastructure to support the NHS

Key Projects QMAS SPINE NHS CRS PACS ETP N3 250,000 employees Population: > 13 million 154 Trusts

Progress to date Approach –National programme, local implementation; grounded in SHA, LHCs and Trusts –Phased, targeted and realistic Success comes from maximising what we can do as soon as we can do it

Progress to date Challenges –Ongoing implementation negotiation –Due diligence –Contract realignment –Matching contract deliverables to demand in fair way –Working to bring as much functionality forward as possible

What’s happening in the South Choose and Book IDX Carecast The Common Solution Project PACS

What’s happening in the South Choose and Book –Early adopters in IOW and Surrey –Learning experience –Roll out planning underway

What’s happening in the South

IDX Carecast –IDX functionality to be implemented in over 60 Trusts in the South in 2005 –Urgent replacements for aged legacy –Lead time to prepare means work is starting now –Thorough readiness assessments –Risk management –Deployed across health communities –Compliant with ‘full release’ within 12 months –Locally run projects building on extant demand

What’s happening in the South

The Common Solution Project –IDX Carecast is the cornerstone of the solution –Common & equal approach for both the South & London single governance board delivery of the ‘functionality bundles’ in line with contract covers all aspects of the lifecycle including design, testing & deployment NPfIT will manage the interfaces with the National Spine Design groups comprising of staff from London and South

What’s happening in the South PACS –Business cases and planning now –Some pump priming funds from NPfIT –Effectively ‘core’, but predominantly locally funded from benefits –Immediate implementation programme –Legacy management critical –Significant and tangible benefits

What’s happening in the South

Summary NPfIT is a key enabler for change We need to ensure that benefits are delivered for –Our organisations –Patients –Clinicians and other staff The cluster has allocated over £20 million to move the implementation effort forward this financial year Critical for the delivery of the NHS Improvement Plan Implementation preparation already started

Southern Cluster Improving Healthcare through IT John Willshere Regional Implementation Director Southern Cluster