PETER GRIFFIN: Health reform: Axe the fax then get serious about data

The largest restructure of the health sector in a generation is coming in the next few years with the government signalling it likes the “direction of travel” of the changes recommended in the Heather Simpson review. But halving the number of district health boards, doing away with elected board members and introducing more centralised planning via a dedicated health agency won’t in itself achieve what is really needed - a more data-driven approach to patients’ health care. The health sector is one of the country’s largest IT users. But f...