Swindells calls for stronger use of information

Departing CIO at the Department of Health, Matthew Swindells, has stressed the importance of the NHS using information to make the service better.

In the opening speech at the Healthcare Computing conference in Harrogate today, Swindells stressed that NHS managers must see information they produce as an asset, and not just numbers.

“NHS managers must be able to understand the information they are producing, and use it to improve their services. If they can’t explain it to their staff, then they are letting patients down. Information is a core part of their jobs, not simply an enabler,” he said.

The former IT director has been conducting the department’s Information and Informatics review for England over the past year, which he said was split into three parts – information, the National Programme for IT and the role of leadership.

All three parts of the review have been completed, but the results have not been collated, and a draft review has not yet been published. The full report is due out towards the end of June, or early July to coincide with Lord Darzi’s wider review.

Of the three parts, Swindells said the use of information was the key focus of his report.

He said: “The future of information is pivotal for the future of the NHS. We must shift from our current approach to data, and instead look towards producing central pools of data, which can be easily accessed and understood by back office and front office workers alike, and importantly inform practice and improve services.

“We have a responsibility to arm the staff of the NHS with the information they need to do a good job, so I am calling on the Information Centre to move forward with the excellent service they currently provide, and provide more timely data, which they would be guardians of, and can be understood by all parties concerned.”

The push towards better use of information would be strengthened by a new act going through parliament, which will introduce risk-based regulation. “Trusts must have timely information if they are to achieve this,” he said.

On the national programme, Swindells said a series of deliberative events had proved to him that the NHS does believe in the vision of the IT project, but there was a fear that staff were ill-prepared for the changes they faced.

“We need to be able to offer hospitals something so they can prepare for the change ahead of them, not simply make promises. NPfIT needs to change its body language and provide a new degree of user confidence,” he told the audience.

Swindells did not say when his final day with the DH would be, but said the department was busy looking for a new CIO. Following an advertisement and some headhunting, interviews are due to commence in a few months.

He called for all involved in health IT to “get on the front foot, engage with your staff and ensure you know how we use data and prepare to receive new systems. The sooner you start, the cleaner the data, and the better the transition will go.

“We have the opportunity to drive forward the use of information to improve the quality of care. Be bold and build on what works, whilst being brave enough to get rid of what doesn’t.”

He denied his report has been the subject of governmental censorship adding “I believe the content is well grounded, therefore it will be difficult to do anything but implement its findings.”