A new article in the British Medical Journal from Carol Chan, Ana Neves and myself looks at the importance of implementation and training in the use of electronic health records (EHRs) in healthcare. The introduction of EHRs has been one of the most significant changes in how healthcare is delivered in recent decades. But while EHRs have brought many benefits to the NHS, for patients and clinicians, they have also created substantial challenges that must be addressed.
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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