An influential committee of MPs claims there has been a “worrying lack of progress” in a key part of the government’s NHS IT programme.
A lack of communication is hampering the implementation of the electronic patient records system, the Health Select Committee said.
Its report hailed the future benefits for patients in England, but raised concerns over the evaluation of security measures aimed at protecting confidentiality.
However, Connecting for Health, which is overseeing the £12.4bn National Programme for IT (NPfIT), insists the system is secure.
The database consists of two parts – the Summary Care Record (SCR), and the local Detailed Care Record (DCR).
But the MPs said they found “it difficult to clarify exactly what information will be contained in the SCR, and what the primary uses of the record will be”.
The report added: “Maintaining the security of the SCR and other National Care Records Service systems is a significant challenge.
“Each SCR will be potentially available across the country to a wide range of different users, making operational security especially problematic.
“We recommend a thorough evaluation of operational security systems and security training for all staff with access to the SCR.”
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