Today’s report on the National Programme for IT in the NHS from the National Audit Office has some interesting things to say about involving staff (see hard copy pages 44-47). I noticed for example that Connecting  for Health’s website is praised in communicating progress, as is the role of the National Clinical Leads; but at the same time it notes that NHS staff want more information from their locality rather than the centre.

Sounds contradictory? Check out the survey result tables below from the report, which put nurses bottom of the list when asked if they have a positive view of the future of the programme, but top of the list when asked whether the programme will have a positive effect in their daily work. Nurses’ opinion is the symmetrical opposite of information managers, who come top in the first question and bottom in the second. Go figure? Well, NHS IT, sounds like it’s about technology, but it’s really about people who use that technology, I guess.