1.Critically examine the challenges facing the NHS in employing the Essay

1.Critically examine the challenges facing the NHS in employing the use of computer-based systems in the management of patients care since the introduction of the National Programme for IT in 2005 - Essay Example e National Audit Office (2006) the establishment of the specific Programme was decided mostly because of the following reasons: a) the high volume of cases handled by hospitals and other care centers; it has been estimated that every week about 6 million people are likely to visit their GP (National Audit Office, 2006, p.9), b) the increase of security in regard to the storage and management of personal data, c) the high cost in prescribing in healthcare settings across Britain. Despite the above advantages, the NHS IT Programme of 2005 has faced a series of challenges – an indication of the failures related to its design/ monitoring. These challenges are analytically presented in the next section; it is concluded that the use of the NHS IT Programme has helped towards the increase of quality of healthcare services across Britain; however, appropriate initiatives should be developed so that the above system to fully perform. Such schemes of action would be the training of user s, the introduction of simpler guidelines and the continuous review of the system’s needs. Through the introduction of information systems in the management of activities across NHS the performance of the specific organization has been improved. The advanced information technologies available to health practitioners have helped to the increase of quality of the services provided to the patients but also to the establishment of services which were not available previously – for instance the services available in the context of the Geographical Information System (GIS) which is incorporated in the IT systems used in NHS’ healthcare settings (Higgs et al., 2001, p.247). However, the performance of information systems in NHS has faced severe delays mostly because of the failures developed across the organization in regard to the management of the specific systems. The update of existing NHS IT systems framework in 2005 has been considered as a necessary solution in order for the above