NHS trusts will need "interim" systems

Four-year delay to parts of national programme for IT mean temporary systems are necessary

NHS trusts must share their plans with Connecting for Health

NHS trusts have been told they will need to use "interim" systems because of the four-year delay to parts of the £12.7bn NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT).

The Department of Health's Informatics Review, published yesterday, said the NHS will help hospital trusts develop roadmaps for the interim systems to be purchased through framework agreements, or from NPfIT suppliers.

The use of suppliers outside the framework agreements is not being encouraged and the NHS will not offer any central funding for the purchases.

"There is a need for interim initiatives so patient information can be made available across different IT systems, different care providers and different care settings ahead of strategic systems delivery," the report said.

Each trust must have an outline view of their implementation roadmap agreed with strategic health authorities and shared with NHS Connecting for Health.

The review was led by Matthew Swindells in one of his final acts as the Department of Health’s chief information officer (CIO) before leaving to become managing director of management consultants Tribal Group.

The review recommends that a position be created on the NHS Management Board for the next CIO, in order to provide clear central leadership on IT issues.

A more detailed informatics review will be published in Autumn 2008.