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INDUSTRY NEWS
MATURE DEBATE IS NEEDED
Matthew Swindells, Head of BCS Health, reflects on changes in NHS
The ability to monitor hospitals’
performance has perversely led to a
decline in public confidence in the NHS,
according to Matthew Swindells.
Matthew’s recent comments in National
Health Executive coincide with a belief in
04
INFORMATION
REVOLUTION
HINOW Autumn 2010
BCS Health for the need for a mature and
honest debate about the growing pains of
the information revolution inside the NHS.
Increased accountability, such as the
opportunity to see mortality rate data, has
resulted in higher standards of care.
The future of Dr Foster Intelligence is under review
According to the DOH, one of the UK’s main
providers of information, analysis and
targeted communications to health and
social care organisations is under review.
The review will explore strategic options
for the future of Dr Foster Intelligence. This
follows the recent white paper 'Equity and
Excellence: Liberating the NHS', which
stated the government’s commitment to
the introduction of an NHS information
revolution, providing patients with quality
information and data on all aspects of
healthcare.
Combined with the right support, the aim
is to increase the use of healthcare
informatics to create better care, outcomes
and reduced costs. The review will ensure
that Dr Foster Intelligence is best placed to
meet this challenge.
Dr Foster Intelligence was launched in
However, the public’s positive view of the
health service has in all likelihood
diminished as a result of the statistics
being published, said Matthew.
Information has become a doubleedged
sword when it comes to
administrative data, he believes.
He said: ‘On the one hand, we now have
the ability to use data to track the
performance of NHS trusts with regards to
things like mortality rates and this has
enabled the public to hold the NHS to
account far more effectively than ever
before. Perversely though, this has
probably led to a reduction in public
confidence in the health service,’
Although the debate around the
implementation of the national patient
records system has tended to dominate the
impression of ICT in the NHS, the last 10
years have yielded many advancements in
administrating healthcare.
Matthew predicted that the next decade
will see the use of ICT to identify and target
patients, allowing clinicians to intervene
earlier in their disease or risk profiles in
order to keep them healthy, as opposed to
reacting to when they fall ill.
Another advance will be allowing patient
records to follow the patient, rather than it
being the other way around.
Although this would enable care to be
delivered in a more convenient way, he
acknowledged that safeguards must be in
place to ensure the quality of data.
He said: ‘You really do need to ensure
that clinical information can move
seamlessly around the patient. Otherwise
you will have patients being treated in
convenient settings, but in an unsafe way.
2006 as a joint venture between the NHS
Information Centre and Dr Foster
Holdings LLP. The NHS Information
Centre transferred its shareholding to the
Department of Health on 9 July 2010.
This review is in line with the
government’s policy to maximise the
value of assets and commercial
opportunities as explained in the findings
of the Arm’s Length Bodies Review.
Health Minister Simon Burns said: ‘In
the white paper Equity and Excellence:
Liberating the NHS’, we set out a vision
for an information revolution to give
patients greater choice and control. We
will publish our information strategy
paper in the autumn. This review will
ensure that the Department of Health is
making the most of Dr Foster
Intelligence.’