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17 June 2002

New IT strategy for the NHS - again

Health Minister Lord Philip Hunt today announced the publication of 'Delivering 21st Century IT support across the NHS' a radical new national programme for Information and Communication Technology in the NHS. The aim of the programme is to successfully support the delivery of NHS Plan commitments and targets. The programme along with additional funding to be announced in the summer will ensure that the NHS IT infrastructure is upgraded to the standard the NHS needs to deliver its three critical national commitments around electronic records, electronic prescribing and the electronic booking of appointments.

The key points from the programme are:

• a new national IT programme director who will be responsible for the implementation of this programme which is seen as the "IT Challenge of the Decade";
• stringent national standards for data and IT in the NHS;
• an improved partnership with the IT industry and healthcare IT suppliers to increase the IT capacity for the NHS;
• a new procurement strategy to accelerate the impact of IT across the NHS;
• better central management which will include a ministerial taskforce chaired by Lord Hunt to ensure the advice and involvement of key healthcare professional and representative groups.

  DoH Press Release reference 2002/0270