Centre has ‘lost the narrative’ over NHSE merger

The NHS should reduce the number of different electronic patient records (EPRs) used by trusts and instead rely on a smaller set of suppliers with nationally agreed prices, according to the CEO of NHS Digital.

Simon Bolton, who is also NHS England’s interim chief information officer, also said NHSD and NHSE had “lost the narrative a little bit” over their forthcoming merger, due to a “fixation” with reducing NHSE staff numbers by a third; and that the centre of the NHS remained too “autocratic and authoritarian”.

Mr Bolton said there were “too many” different EPRs used in the health service and said no private sector organisation would allow such variability for so long.

His comments come amid a national drive to improve the uptake and quality of EPRs across NHS providers, following new technology targets set by the government earlier this year.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 28 September 2022