Hutton resigns as chair of clinical advisory board

In a 21 April email to members of NCAB Professor Hutton said: “…I have offered my resignation of NCAB and it has been accepted.”

In a statement to E-Health Insider the national programme said: “It is with regret that the National Programme for IT has accepted the resignation of Professor Peter Hutton as chair of the National Clinical Advisory Board on 21 April 2004.

The statement added: “As it moves into its implementation phase, the national programme for IT is acutely aware of the importance of effective clinical and public engagement.  It will seek to build on the excellent foundations laid down by Professor Peter Hutton and the National Clinical Advisory Board.”

Professor Hutton’s email goes on to state: “It is with regret that I have arrived at this position, but I feel that it would be to the benefit of all, and especially to the clinical community, ifthe current arrangements over clinical input into the NPfIT were clarified in the light of recent events.  When consideration is being given to possible operational models, it would, I am sure, be easier if the Chairmanship of NCAB was vacant.”

The key “recent events” that Professor Hutton refers to would appear to be the changes surrounding Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Aidan Halligan’s appointment in March as joint director general of NPfIT. Professor Halligan has taken on  lead responsibility for ensuring clinical involvement. Intriguingly, he was also a member of NCAB, representing the Chief Medical Officer before being appointed as joint director general of NPfIT.   

Professor Hutton, chairman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, was appointed to chair the NCAB in October 2003.  The membership of the NCAB consists of nominees of professional bodies with heavy representation from the Royal Colleges, together with representatives of the Healthcare Commission, the NHS Confederation and National Patient Safety Agency.

Most of the detailed work of NCAB is done by its working groups, which have been established in areas including: patient consent and records access; cancer treatment and access; PACS and radiology; GP to GP transfer of care and medications management.

Although reports indicate that the working groups were making solid progress one of the most consistent criticisms of the national programme has been its failure to engage with clinicians.  In his email to NCAB members Professor Hutton says: “I am sorry that your contribution to this [development of NHS CRS] has not had wider recognition within the clinical community and the medical press.

At Healthcare Computing 2004 last month the national programme consistently cited the figure of 2,000 clinicians having been consulted with, in response to criticism of lack of clinician involvement. However, a markedly different line was taken by Professor Halligan who stressed that what really mattered was not how many clinicians had been spoken to but how many had actually heard and become engaged in meaningful dialogue. 

E-Health Insider contacted Professor Hutton but his spokesperson at the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges said: “He wants to say he has explained his reasons for resignation to the members of the NCAB and he has no further comment to make.”