NHS Computer Scheme Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

NHS Computer Scheme - Coursework Example The ?12 billion NHS computer scheme project was an initiative of the UK department of health that was aimed at achieving a single, centrally-mandated electronic care record for patients and to provide a connection of more than 30,000 general practitioners to over 300 hospitals (Deloitte, 2009). The system was also aimed at providing a secure platform where authorized health practitioners could access medical records in the process of providing care to patients. The project had other aims as well including the ability to provide a platform where any patient could be able to access their medical records online at any time with the appropriate authorization. If the project was to succeed patients would have been able to access their medical records online through a service dubbed Healthspace. The project was going to be a leap forward in the healthcare industry and was said to be a world’s first most comprehensive civil information technology program of the century (PAC, 2010). T he program began in October 2002 and since then its management has continued to spur debate and discussion among the public and other stakeholders as well. The first bone of contention is the cost of the program that was estimated to cost ?12 billion (Campbell, 2011). The second problem came up as a result of poor management and or the subsequent sacking of four of the proposed IT provides (PAC, 2010). Third, the public accounts committee on the other hand has continued to criticize the project terming it to have flaws from the point of initialization, budgeting, scope, planning and also noted that the project had little practical value to the patients if any in order to warrant implementation (PAC, 2010). A review by the Cabinet Office’s Major Projects Authority (MPA) established a number... This paper is going to provide a critical analysis of an ambitious IT project began by the UK department of health dubbed NHS National Program for IT. The  £12 billion NHS computer scheme project was an initiative of the UK department of health that was aimed at achieving a single, centrally-mandated electronic care record for patients and to provide a connection of more than 30,000 general practitioners to over 300 hospitals. The system was also aimed at providing a secure platform where authorized health practitioners could access medical records in the process of providing care to patients. The project had other aims as well including the ability to provide a platform where any patient could be able to access their medical records online at any time with the appropriate authorization. If the project was to succeed patients would have been able to access their medical records online through a service dubbed Healthspace. The project was going to be a leap forward in the healthcare industry and was said to be a world’s first most comprehensive civil information technology program of the century This report makes a conclusion that through the events and the issues that marked UK’s first major IT project, there are a number of things that needed to be changed to boost the chances of the success of the project. It is recommended that first; NHS would have established a project board together with the project manager and the project team to ensure effective management of the project. This would have helped in establishing responsibilities and authority so that the project manager is under a larger authority which would have put pressure on him to enable the effective accomplishment of his duties.