Royal London boss admits IT problem

THE new boss of the Royal London admitted this week the hospital s billion pound IT system was to blame for patients waiting too long for their treatment. But Peter Morris, who took over as Chief Executive yesterday after acting as interim since March,

THE new boss of the Royal London admitted this week the hospital's billion pound IT system was to blame for patients waiting too long for their treatment.

But Peter Morris, who took over as Chief Executive yesterday after acting as interim since March, insisted dealing with waiting times was at the top of his agenda.

He told the Advertiser the hospital had not been prepared for the installation of the Care Record System in April last year.

It was this together with "structural changes" within Barts and the London Trust which contributed to hundreds of patients having to wait for a hospital appointment beyond the 13-week target after being referred by a GP.

"There was a constellation of issues that came together that damaged the hospital's performance." He told the Advertiser. "We didn't put in place the sufficient training necessary to accept a major new information system.

"One has to be extremely prepared but unfortunately the timing of the introduction of it coincided with other organisational changes in the hospital.

"But now we are through it we are strengthening management and putting in place systems which we believe can ensure our patients get a timely service."

It emerged earlier this year bosses had lost track of patients waiting for appointments after the details were hidden or unrecorded in systems installed as part of the system.

Barts reported the worst delays in the country for outpatients needing a hospital appointment, with 834 patients still waiting beyond the 13-week target for an appointment last March.