IOM DHSC & MANX CARE

[cissolt]

2 minutes ago, Boo Gay'n said:

Ancient (in IT terms) systems, piss-poor training, complete indifference to the importance of data protection and regular unforced errors have led to this.  Plus, Richie Wild isn't half as good as he thinks he is.

He sounds impressive on paper.....but in practice appears to be failing at an epic level.

Can Chief information officers be put on performance review?  Or is that just lower grade staff?

[Galen]

As I recall he is the nephew of Clive Wild who used to do the IOM Police IT.

A noticeable part of his career history that is not mentioned is his involvement with the UK NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT) - another unmitigated disaster some might say! He used to commute from the IOM to Leeds to the DHSS HQ in Quarry House and its associated offices every week for several years.

And yes he will be on Performance Review, as are most public servants, but with the low level of understanding of IT / Data Security / Data Governance of his seniors, he no doubt will convince them he is doing a splendid job in difficult circumstances. After all he will have the full support and confidence of the Chief Secretary having worked for him when in the IOM Cabinet Office.

Edited April 22, 2022 by Galen
minor typos

[Banker]

45 minutes ago, cissolt said:

He sounds impressive on paper.....but in practice appears to be failing at an epic level.

Can Chief information officers be put on performance review?  Or is that just lower grade staff?

If a private company had all these breaches & threats if massive fines & no plans to rectify in place the head of IT or /& data controller would be sacked !

[Two-lane]

2 hours ago, Galen said:

but with the low level of understanding of IT / Data Security / Data Governance of his seniors, he no doubt will convince them he is doing a splendid job in difficult circumstance

The above quote shows that he has been working in IT for the gov. since 2015, starting with the DHSC.

In computering, seven years is a long, long, time.

If things have changed in that period (and clearly not for the better), presumably he is responsible.

If nothing has been changed, he is responsible.

If he wants change but cannot convince his superiors that it is necessary, his job in irrelevant.

[Galen]

and don't forget he has recently been recruiting for a Deputy......... "The Isle of Man where you can"

[The Phantom]

4 hours ago, Dr. Grumpy said:

suboptimal competence

Beautifully put and just seems to be expected from everything GOvt related nowadays. 

[wrighty]

I don’t like it when a bunch of anonymous contributors launch personal attacks on a named individual. Richard Wild is one of the good guys. Do you lot really expect that he vets every single email in case someone has clicked “send all” by mistake?

Data Protection rules, or more correctly fear of breaching data protection rules, hampers patient care. I get frustrated by it on a daily basis when I get emails about patients I have to identify using my skills at cryptic crossword solving. There has to be a balance, but I think it’s swung too far towards keeping everything secret, to the detriment of the average patient who would prefer everyone looking after them to be in full possession of the relevant information. 

[TheTeapot]

14 minutes ago, wrighty said:

 

Data Protection rules, or more correctly fear of breaching data protection rules, hampers patient care. I get frustrated by it on a daily basis when I get emails about patients I have to identify using my skills at cryptic crossword solving. There has to be a balance, but I think it’s swung too far towards keeping everything secret, to the detriment of the average patient who would prefer everyone looking after them to be in full possession of the relevant information. 

It must be hugely frustrating for you. There are obvious problems with how the data is held and used. But it's hugely problematic to the users of the services too.

Here's a minor personal anecdote of how much of a mess the systems you guys have to use must be. I got referred to physio by the fracture clinic (not you sadly, I'd have said hello), and after a while I was wondering where my appointment was, so i asked my GP. They told me I'd missed two. With some investigation the physio had sent my appointment letters to an address I had not lived in for 7 years, despite my current address being on the referral letter, on fracture clinic appointment letters, on eye clinic appointment letters, on DHSC letters, and registered with the GP. But it was my fault that I missed the physio appointments, and missing them was detrimental to my recovery! How does this happen?

 

 

[wrighty]

3 minutes ago, TheTeapot said:

With some investigation the physio had sent my appointment letters to an address I had not lived in for 7 years, despite my current address being on the referral letter, on fracture clinic appointment letters, on eye clinic appointment letters, on DHSC letters, and registered with the GP. But it was my fault that I missed the physio appointments, and missing them was detrimental to my recovery! How does this happen?

 

 

Multiple incompatible computer systems that don’t talk to each other. It’s a massive problem we complain about all the time. Sorting this mess out is one of the recommendations of the Michael report, and there is an ongoing project to do so. I hope it works out, but to do it properly may be too expensive or simply too difficult. 

[TheTeapot]

5 minutes ago, wrighty said:

Multiple incompatible computer systems that don’t talk to each other. It’s a massive problem we complain about all the time. Sorting this mess out is one of the recommendations of the Michael report, and there is an ongoing project to do so. I hope it works out, but to do it properly may be too expensive or simply too difficult. 

I remember you complaining about the different systems before thinking about it. And MD in Private Eye has written about it for years regarding the NHS.

Obviously I don't work in office admin so might not have a clue, but it would seem to me that a key part of the job would be to check details are correct. Receive a letter request for an appointment for a patient, create appointment, check the details match, send the letter. Especially if there are known problems with the computer systems. Maybe they're too busy.

[wrighty]

16 minutes ago, TheTeapot said:

I remember you complaining about the different systems before thinking about it. And MD in Private Eye has written about it for years regarding the NHS.

Obviously I don't work in office admin so might not have a clue, but it would seem to me that a key part of the job would be to check details are correct. Receive a letter request for an appointment for a patient, create appointment, check the details match, send the letter. Especially if there are known problems with the computer systems. Maybe they're too busy.

I often hark back to the days when my referral letters were kept by my secretary in a ring binder, and she’d send appointments manually. Back then what you’re suggesting happened, and there were fewer DNAs and fewer complaints about admin. Computerising everything and reducing the secretarial headcount has made things worse. In particular, the computerising has happened piecemeal with individual departments purchasing their own systems, with little regard for the ability to integrate with other systems. 
 

If I were the king of the island, with limitless funds, I’d commission Google or Amazon to implement a fully integrated universal health record system that covered everything from appointment admin to prescribing and ordering tests. It would include secure communications and a full electronic patient record. 

[cissolt]

18 minutes ago, wrighty said:

If I were the king of the island, with limitless funds, I’d commission Google or Amazon to implement a fully integrated universal health record system that covered everything from appointment admin to prescribing and ordering tests. It would include secure communications and a full electronic patient record. 

I am sure Mr Wild is a lovely chap, but he is responsible for ensuring that systems are in place to prevent unsecured medical data being sent to over 2000 people. Check the previous information enforcement notices, they have failed to act on the warnings last year.  Now the tax payer is on the hook for a massive fine. 

On the Google suggestion, whilst good in principle, we must question why the biggest reseller of private data wants access to health records: 

https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/30/uk-class-action-style-suit-filed-over-deepmind-nhs-health-data-scandal/

[Mysteron]

1 hour ago, TheTeapot said:

Here's a minor personal anecdote of how much of a mess the systems you guys have to use must be. I got referred to physio by the fracture clinic (not you sadly, I'd have said hello), and after a while I was wondering where my appointment was, so i asked my GP. They told me I'd missed two. With some investigation the physio had sent my appointment letters to an address I had not lived in for 7 years, despite my current address being on the referral letter, on fracture clinic appointment letters, on eye clinic appointment letters, on DHSC letters, and registered with the GP. But it was my fault that I missed the physio appointments, and missing them was detrimental to my recovery! How does this happen?

 

 

I might be mistaken, but wasn't the much vaunted JUPITER (Joined Up Information for the Electronic Resident) project launched by IOMG around 20 years ago supposed to eradicate this type of issue?

[asitis]

1 hour ago, wrighty said:

may be too expensive or simply too difficult. 

Quite simply it shouldn't be too expensive, the public would tolerate spending cash on stuff like this rather than a tin shed on Merseyside ! Government have never seemed to me to have any idea of priority just dick waving vanity stuff !

[wrighty]

41 minutes ago, cissolt said:

 

On the Google suggestion, whilst good in principle, we must question why the biggest reseller of private data wants access to health records: 

https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/30/uk-class-action-style-suit-filed-over-deepmind-nhs-health-data-scandal/

I would not suggest giving Google or anyone else access to health records, I simply suggested them or Amazon as companies that know how to build and manage a large database with additional functions. That’s all a health record is. I can go on my Amazon record from any computer and see what film I watched on Prime two years ago, or order some new stuff that they send to my correct postal address. That’s not a million miles away from looking at a patient’s consultation record, ordering an XR, and sending them an appointment. It shouldn’t be difficult, but it is, and GDPR, or at least people’s impression of what it means, makes it so.