What do Cambridge’s ‘Special Measures’ mean for NHS IT?

The UK Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) recommendation earlier this week that Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is put into ‘Special Measures’, following its overall rating by inspectors as ‘Inadequate’, has implications not just for the high profile trust but also for NHS IT.

The Trust has championed innovative technology in the NHS and has impressed us with its pioneering eHospital programme, which is run in partnership with HP under a $210m 10-year deal signed in 2013 (see here). As part of its digital transformation, the trust’s Addenbrooke’s and Rosie hospitals went live with a new electronic patient record (EPR) system from US vendor EPIC last October.

Regardless of the reasons for the CQC’s decision – the majority of which have no bearing on the trust’s eHospital programme - the fact that both hospitals have now been rated as ‘Inadequate’ overall will inevitably take the shine of their status as digital visionaries. Our concern is that, directly or indirectly, the news will also discourage other trusts from making significant investments in ICT at a time when that’s exactly what’s required if the NHS is to square the circle of increasing demand and tightening budgets.

TechMarketView subscription clients can read our full analysis in today’s UKHotViewsExtra article: Don’t let Cambridge’s ‘Special Measures’ discourage NHS IT investment. If you don’t yet subscribe to our paid-for research services and you’d like details of our subscription packages, please email Deborah Seth in our Client Services Team.

Posted by Tola Sargeant at '19:56' - Tagged: health