Labour recognised the power of information in driving improvement in public services.

The publication of hospital statistics, although controversial, made professionals step up their practice and informed patients about where to find the best quality care. In turn, it helped prompt service configurations which significantly improved outcomes for patients.

Now the government has quietly published its own information strategy, to a muted reception. It is meant to deliver a seismic shift in the way that information is used to drive up quality. But some feel some of the ambition shown in opposition is missing in government.

I think the coalition is travelling along the right road at the wrong speed (too slow, on this occasion).

It is right to want every patient to have access to their own information as a core part of their care. Patients with long-term conditions need easy access to their medical details, and recent trials suggest that giving patients such access reduces the number of times they need to see a GP – a valuable productivity gain. More patients are getting access to their records but a sustained drive is needed to make it the norm and encourage details to be added which will make these records the invaluable resource they have the potential to be. Yet while Labour arguably under-utilised local approaches, the coalition is doing the opposite and leaving a gap where national strategic leadership is needed.

We now take for granted that we can compare the performance of individual hospitals, wards and even doctors. Doctors and nurses themselves say privately that there are hospitals where they’d want to be treated and others they would do anything to avoid. But as care shifts from hospitals into the community, we need a similar light thrown onto primary care and its performance. The accuracy and timeliness of diagnoses, prescriptions and referrals are vital to good outcomes and yet are subject to so little transparency. Patients won’t be able to choose the best GP for their needs solely on the basis of the time it takes to get an appointment. Qualitative data are needed and sorely lacking.

Finally, the NHS needs to go online. For many people used to online banking and online shopping, there is an expectation that you should be able to book appointments with a doctor or order repeat prescriptions online. Again, this improves efficiency as the patient does the work (as the customer does in online banking). In parts of the country, the online NHS is already a reality. But for most people, it is a distant dream. Progress needs to be faster and more comprehensive to meet rising expectations and growing familiarity with the web as well as helping to put the patient in control.

The government has been bold at recognising the culture shift required to make the information strategy happen, yet it has been timid in its efforts to bring about the change that is needed. Labour’s vision for the NHS should be to speed the pace of change.

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Neil Churchill is the chief executive of Asthma UK. This article is written in a personal capacity

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Photo: nrares