‘Connect with GPs’ call for IT modernisers

A GP magazine has called on Connecting for Health (formerly the National Programme for IT) to connect with its readers following a survey of NHS IT modernisation.

Pulse magazine says respondents to its Agenda 2005 survey condemned the government’s "entire approach to IT." It says half of 1003 respondents felt the government’s IT policy ‘badly’ needed revising with a further 26% supporting the need for revision.

Specific questions in the survey sampled opinion on Choose and Book, guarantees on patient confidentiality and choice of IT systems – an issue largely resolved since the survey.

Both elements of Choose and Book caused problems for respondents. Many GPs were unconvinced by the ‘choice’ element which is not under Connecting for Health’s control.

"Why do patients need to be given a choice of 50 places where they can be treated?" the survey report asks. "Surely most people just want good care at a hospital or primary care facility closest to their home as recommended by their family doctor."

But the electronic booking element of the new scheme was a cause of concern too."GPs cannot see how taking patients through all of the options will not cause a huge amount of extra work and add minutes to every consultation involving a referral," says the report.

The magazine comments that GPs need to see how Choose and Book works and have their concerns about it listened to. Pulse also reported that a simulator to demonstrate the software was expected to be ready for the conference season in June.

The survey recorded worries about patient confidentiality from just over 50% of respondents. It calls for an unambiguous policy detailing how confidentiality will be protected.

"This need to cover the handling of sensitive information, how patients can opt out of putting information about them on the spine and how data from patient records is transferred from the practice to the national care record."

In a typically robust editorial, Pulse said: "It is noticeable that as soon as two GPs were brought in to advise the IT boffins, some common sense solutions started to emerge. Proper choice over computer system for example. GPs hope that Connecting for Health has got the message. For its multi-billion programme to work it must connect with GPs."

Professor Mike Pringle, one of the two GP clinical champions for Connecting for Health commented: "People who are going to use IT are crucial to its design and implementation. Choice over IT system was a make-or-break issue crucial in winning the hearts and minds of GPs but we’ve got a long way to go before we can say most of the problems in primary care are resolved. Until we are there we will continue to work with the programme to make sure changes are evolving in a way clinicians can use."