Kainos Announces Timely GP Appointment to Independent Evolve Clinical Reference Group

Date posted
14 February 2011
Reading time
4 Minutes

Kainos Announces Timely GP Appointment to Independent Evolve Clinical Reference Group

London & Belfast, Feb 14th, 2011 The Evolve Clinical Reference Group (CRG), established by Kainos to provide its software and business development teams with independent advisory input from senior practising healthcare professionals, continues to go from strength to strength, attracting another heavyweight member. The role of the CRG is to provide relevant expert advice to support the product development and market positioning of Evolve, Kainos's unique clinician-focused electronic document management (EDM) and workflow solution. This invaluable input includes pertinent updates on NHS policy and strategy. Chaired by Brendan Major, a senior healthcare business consultant at Kainos steeped in first-hand industry experience, the CRG features an impressive roll-call of names, representing all corners of the NHS. These include Julie Hunt, Director of Nursing & Quality at NHS West Kent; Melanie Mavers, Head of Clinical Quality at the Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Steve Wilkerson, Transformation Programme Manager at Guy's & St. Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust in London; and Jason Smith, a consultant surgeon running a large surgical practice at The West Middlesex University Hospital in West London. The latest member to join, in January, is Dr Phil Koczan, a GP and health informatics expert working in North East London. Dr Koczan is a fellow of the Royal College of GPs and has an MSc in Medical Informatics from Bath University. He has worked in several different areas of healthcare IT over the past 15 years and is a practising GP partner two days a week. In this role Dr Koczan has a strong interest in the evolving NHS reorganisation, particularly around clinical data and its use for both patient care and commissioning. Chair Brendan Major highlighted the timeliness of having a practising GP on the independent advisory team, given Prime Minister David Cameron's recently announced plans for the National Health Service. 'The Government's radical restructuring of the NHS has moved the burden of managing public healthcare from Primary Care Trusts to consortia of GPs,' he noted. 'These GP organisations will collectively be responsible for securing value from almost £80b of tax-payers' money earmarked for health. In meeting this challenge, GPs recognise that obtaining the secure flow of information across the local healthcare environment is critical. 'Responding to the significant expansion of GPs' remit, Kainos is delighted to have secured the services of one of London's most reputable GP informatics specialists, who will advise the company on new workflow configuration and revised information-sharing models.'