| MP helps mark new chapter for more than 150 Southport staff |
| Tuesday, 08 April 2008 | |
The skills of 151 Southport staff were transferred to a leading national health authority on Monday, April 1. Southport's MP John Pugh was on hand at Smedley Hydro in Birkdale to cut the commemorative ribbon marking the transfer, and show his support for the town's biggest employer.
The staff, who maintain the NHS Central Register (NHSCR) will now be employed by The NHS Information Centre, England’s independent and authoritative source of health and social care information. Thought to be the largest person database in the country, NHSCR is a computerised record of NHS patie nt registration details, from the cradle to the grave, and was previously the responsibility of the Office of National Statistics (ONS).NHSCR staff ensure patient records are up-to-date by altering the register to reflect births, deaths, patient movements and name changes. No individual is ever removed from NHSCR's records and the total number of records held manually is around 145 million, while the total number held electronically is around 75 million. The NHS Information Centre’s Chief Executive, Tim Straughan said: “I am delighted to welcome NHSCR staff to The NHS Information Centre. They have a valuable role to play, not only in our organisation, but also in helping ensure NHS patients receive the highest standard of health and social care.” Dr Pugh meanwhile said the transfer was "A recognition of the skill and dedication of the staff concerned". A special health authority based in Leeds, The NHS Information Centre works with more than 300 health and social care providers nationwide to collect data and convert it into useful information. It also produces a wide range of statistical publications on subjects like hospital care, dental treatment, prescriptions and lifestyles. |