26 March 2004
The Department of Health denied it had demoted NHS information technology supremo Richard Granger this week following the appointment of a senior doctor to share his responsibilities.
Deputy chief medical officer Professor Aidan Halligan has become joint director general of the NHS National Programme for IT with Granger, who has been instrumental in getting the ambitious programme off the ground. In February, he awarded the last of eight contracts to enable NHS organisations to share information, for example, allowing clinicians instant access to patient records and diagnostic images.
The DoH said Granger would continue to be responsible for the implementation of the new IT systems across the NHS. Sources in the department said Halligan's appointment had been made to raise the initiative's profile among clinicians. There are fears that the project, which is worth more than £2bn over three years, will be a waste of money if the technology is not embraced by doctors.
Halligan's presence is also designed to reassure clinicians and the public that patient details will remain confidential. He said: 'The vision I hold for the NHS is where health care is safe, knowledge-driven and governed by uniformly high-quality service and standards. Where patients are at the very centre of their own care, with real choices as to where, when and how they are treated. Where clinicians are supported by world-class IT to enable flexible team working across disciplinary and organisational boundaries.
'We will ensure that quality and safety improvements are built into all aspects of the IT systems to support more effective clinical working practices.'
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