A recent article in Informatics in Primary Care discussed how we can build on a Wellcome Trust report on the use of electronic patient records (EPRs) from general practice for research. The UK could significantly enhance its health research capability by making effective use of data from electronic patient records for secondary research. The Wellcome Trust report provides useful guidance to researchers and clinicians on why secondary research using data from electronic records in primary care is important. Combined with advances in NHS Information Technology systems, particularly the Research Capability Programme, and financial support from the NIHR, we need to make this potential a reality and ensure that the UK remains a world leader in primary care informatics.
NHS budgets are under considerable pressure. It is therefore unsurprising that many NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) In England will aim to prioritise price in contract awards, But this approach is a significant threat to community-centred healthcare. While competitive tendering is a legally required, an excessive focus on costs in awarding NHS contracts risks overshadowing key factors such as established community trust, local expertise, and the long-term impact on continuity of care. This shift towards cheaper, often external, commercial providers threatens to cut the links between communities and their local health services. The argument that competitive tendering is solely about legal compliance, and not cost, is undermined by the very nature of such tendering, which by design encourages the lowest bid. This approach risks eroding the social fabric of local healthcare provision, where established relationships and understanding of specific community needs are essential. Establishe...
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