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Camden New Journal - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 24 May 2007

Prime Minister Tony Blair with members of staff on a visit to Hampstead’s Royal Free Hospital, where he saw the new digital imaging system introduced to replace traditional film-based X-rays

Blair admits failure over NHS computer revolution

DEPARTING Prime Minister Tony Blair has admitted the NHS’s controversial computer system was never going to be fully operational during his term of office.
Mr Blair was speaking during a visit to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead on Monday when he saw its new digital imaging system, which replaces traditional, film-based X-rays.
Speaking to staff and reporters at the Pond Street hospital, Mr Blair admitted the NHS had struggled with advances in information technology.
He said: “There has not been a good history delivering IT projects into the health service but it is the biggest project in any healthcare system in the world. It was never going to be achieved in my 10 years and it has cost £6 billion not 18.” He added: “Every time there is a problem in the health service another appears.”
Mr Blair, Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt and Richard Granger, director general of IT for the NHS, paid an early-morning visit to the Hampstead hospital’s new medical assessment and admissions unit (MAAU) to see the hi-tech picture archiving system.
Hospital chiefs claim the picture archiving and communications system (PACS), introduced at the Royal Free last year, has speeded up treatment and made lost X-rays a thing of the past. It is to be introduced at other hospitals in London.
Mr Blair said: “I’m hopeless at technology, but I understand the importance of it. We now have a situation where people in different parts of the hospital can simultaneously communicate over images – it has revolutionised the way healthcare is delivered.
“London is leading the way on this – leading the world in some ways. In time, this technology will grow to the extent that GPs in their surgeries will be able to call up images.”
He added: “The amazing thing about this equipment is that X-rays used to be carried around hospitals. Now people can connect directly to them very quickly.”
Mr Blair praised the success the NHS has had in reducing patient waiting times.
He said: “Targets have brought about reductions in waiting time. Ten years ago the waiting time was 10 months or so and that will be 18 weeks next year, including everything from the first GP appointment through surgery.”
Looking back on his record, he said: “Ten years is a long time to do this job so I am bound to reflect on all these things that have happened. It is a privilege being PM, as I said in my farewell speech. I have never lost my faith in this country and it is the same or more than it was 10 years ago.”

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