Rocky road ahead for NPfIT suppliers

The paper, published by consultancy firm Wireless Healthcare, says that many smaller IT vendors would be unable to justify the risks associated with lack of delivery or measurement through benchmarks, and this causes comparatively conservative, rather than innovative, technology to be implemented by the larger companies that already have business models and systems working elsewhere.

According to the document, while electronic storage and transfer of records, images and prescriptions are revolutionary in the context of the NHS, the technology involved will “merely provide the automation most commercial organisations have been enjoying for a decade."

The difference is in the implementation; as the NHS is such a diverse organisation using many different systems and methods, the risks undertaken by the companies will be through putting their technology into practice.

Peter Kruger, senior analyst at Wireless Healthcare, argues that it’s along this discrepancy that battlelines could later be drawn: “There is potential for conflict between the management of the NPfIT, who will want to keep the programme fresh and relevant by introducing the latest technology, and LSPs who will be under pressure to complete contracts on time and within budgets."

Small businesses would do better to concentrate on areas not under the auspices of the national programme, such as preventative healthcare. Another suggestion would be for several similar businesses to form an alliance and possibly supply to an LSP rather than to NPfIT directly. “There is no reason why companies providing dietary information and health screening services cannot work alongside hardware and software developers to produce wireless and mobile-based e-health services."

Despite this, it remains likely that NPfIT will succeed, although conflict between the programme and suppliers could create differences and cause objectives to shift. As the report says: “It is unlikely that NPfIT will fail completely. However it could grind to a halt if mission creep sets in."

“While £6bn is a large amount of money, it is barely enough to complete the job in hand; let alone provide the extra, innovative services needed to keep health sector IT infrastructure up to date. At some point someone will have to consider NPfIT2."

The report can be downloaded from www.wirelesshealthcare.co.uk.