Hospitals finally embracing IT revolution

Published: 9-Jan-2013

Report shows spend on IT infrastructure by acute trusts will increase over next 12 months


After lagging behind the primary care sector, hospitals in England are expected to step up the delivery of IT systems and solutions over the coming year, new research predicts.

In a report entitled The View From The Shop Floor , analysts at EHI Intelligence reveal that nearly 70% of acute trusts say their main priority over the coming year is to deliver new infrastructure – up from just 40% last year.

There is no doubt that the NHS has a difficult road ahead. However, the results of this year's survey indicate those working on the IT shop floor are less concerned about the journey than they were last year

This investment will become more patient-focused, with almost 50% of those surveyed as part of the research saying their trust is looking to invest in either an electronic patient record or portal solution.

The move comes after many years in which the acute sector has lagged behind primary care practitioners who have been much more embracing of the role IT solutions can play in improved patient care.

Lindsay Bell, the report author, said, "The report shows increased optimism among respondents compared with last year. Although their trusts are still facing financial pressures, they expect these to be less severe than last year, with only 17% of those who responded to the 2012 survey expecting their overall trust budget to fall by more than 20%, compared to 37% last year.

"This optimism also applies to IT departments, which are no longer fearing the worst. The survey found the respondents predicting an average reduction in IT budgets to be just 4% compared to 8% last year, while the number of trusts expecting to have to make drastic reductions of more than 20% in their IT budget has fallen sharply, down from 27% last year to 6% this year."

In the future, suppliers will have to show that their products can deliver a significant return on investment within a short timescale

The survey also reveals that trusts are becoming more business-focused when it comes to IT spend, with boards more influential regarding the sign-off of IT strategies and business cases for investments.

Bell said: "In the future, suppliers will have to show that their products can deliver a significant return on investment within a short timescale. They may also have to show they can deliver a bigger return on investment than other projects being put forward at the same time, as trusts explore numerous options for new ways of working under the 'innovation' strand of the QIPP agenda."

Commenting on the findings, EHealth Insider editor, Jon Hoeksma, said, "There is no doubt that the NHS has a difficult road ahead. However, the results of this year's survey indicate those working on the IT shop floor are less concerned about the journey than they were last year. There's also clear evidence that trust IT departments are being protected from the worst by boards and clinicians who increasingly 'get' the need to invest to make the bigger changes ahead.”

An IT manager at one of England’s teaching hospitals told BBH this week: “Many hospitals have taken some time to come around to the idea of a change in approach and have as a result been slow to adopt IT. However, I think there is now a recognition, particularly when the NHS is charged with being more financially efficient, that IT systems can and will help.

“Over the coming months I would expect trusts to be looking to the market for expertise and advice on the types of systems available and how to deploy them. There is a weakness in some trusts in terms of IT know-how and they will need a lot of help, but I do think we will catch up with the primary care sector very quickly.”

Click here to read the report.

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