News
Northgate to develop IT system for national Abdominal Aortic
Aneurysm Screening Programme
28 January 2010
Northgate Public Services has been awarded a three-year
contract to develop and implement a national IT system for the NHS
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme (NAAASP) in England.
It will support the screening and referral process, administration of
quality assurance and failsafe procedures, and enable the performance
management of the NAAASP service.
An estimated 80,000 men aged between 65 and 74 are affected by
abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), which are caused when the main blood
vessel in the abdomen — the aorta — weakens and starts to expand. If
undetected, the condition can be fatal and around 6,000 men die every
year from a burst AAA. If caught in time, many of these deaths are
avoidable.
The programme is being rolled out gradually following research
evidence showing that a population-based screening programme, using
ultrasound scanning, for men in their 65th year who are at risk, would
be effective in reducing mortality from ruptured abdominal aortic
aneurysms.
The Programme will set national standards and protocols for the
delivery of local screening services and will co-ordinate the
implementation of the programme across England.
In the US, the US Preventive Services Task Force of the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality recommends one-time screening for AAA by
ultrasonography in men aged 65 to 75 who have ever smoked.
Once fully implemented, the NAAASP will reduce deaths from the
condition by up to 50% by detecting AAAs early and enabling monitoring
or treatment to be offered. The Programme will invite all men aged 65
and over who are most at risk from the condition for screening during
the year they turn 65 from across England.
Roll out of Northgate’s NAAASP solution commenced in December,
following its launch at the 2009 National Vascular Conference in
November. Once completed by end of March 2013, the solution will support
screening and monitoring for around 325,000 men every year at 60 local
screening centres.
The award of the contract, Northgate’s first adult screening
programme, builds upon its long track record of work in newborn and
infant screening, and its wider success in the NHS through Patient
Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs), Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and
National Joint Registry solutions.
Anne Stevenson, Programme Manager for the NAAASP said: “I am pleased
that Northgate Public Services is working with us to develop and
implement a national IT system that will help maintain the standards of
the national Programme across England. The partnership is all about
quality and is designed to ensure that our locally delivered screening
programmes provide consistent, effective and efficient services for 65
year old men in their communities.”
Alan Campbell, Head of Screening Solutions at Northgate Public
Services, said: “We are delighted to be working with the NHS AAA
Screening Programme. To be effectively managed, screening programmes
need robust solutions which support local practices while driving
national standards. The experience we have gained through the
implementation of other high quality screening programmes, combined with
our consultancy led approach, will ensure that we develop a solution
tuned to the unique requirements of the NAAASP and contribute towards
saving lives. We are committed to providing national high quality
innovative screening solutions and contributing to the Programme’s
success.”
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