Health expert warns against cutting IT costs

A leading health economist has warned the UK Government that reducing investment in the health service's information management systems could lead to disaster.

Alan Maynard, Professor of Health Economics at York University, was addressing a gathering of top health experts at the Great Ormond Street Hospital on Monday.

He said sound information management is essential to avoiding problems which could ultimately harm patient care. Maynard believes that more IT invesment is necessary to improve information flows between hospitals, doctors and health authorities.

"Health service managers 'fight fires' and form strategies which are often ill informed by the evidence they have available. They are often badly monitored due to data deficiencies as well," said Maynard. He went on to attack politicians trying to cut the IT budget in the health service, saying they are "ignorant and foolish oppotunists".

Ross Langford, a spokesman for the NHS Executive, acknowledged Maynard's comments but said that IT is just one in a long list of requirements in the health service crying out for funding.