20 April 2007
The Department of Health's controversial National Programme for IT risks setting back the NHS's information system for years and has no back-up plan if it fails, the Commons Public Accounts Committee has said.
'The programme is not looking good,' said PAC chair Edward Leigh. 'The electronic patient clinical record, which is central to the project, is already running two years late. The suppliers are struggling to deliver. And, four years down the line, the costs and benefits… are unclear.'
He added: 'If these systems cannot be delivered within the framework of the programme, then the local NHS should be given greater freedom to look for alternative systems which do work.'
At the heart of the £12.4bn, 12-year programme is a central NHS care record which will enable patient records to be accessed and updated electronically on a secure basis throughout England. However, pilots of the scheme are already two years late and no adequate substitute had been developed in case it did not work, the committee found.
'The stakes are high,' the report reads. 'If it succeeds… the programme could revolutionise the way the NHS in England uses information and make significant improvements to the quality of patient care. But if it fails, it could set back IT developments in the NHS for years, and divert money and staff from frontline services.'
Last September the main contractor, Accenture, pulled out of the programme, claiming delays were causing it losses. The DoH contracts mean that suppliers are not usually paid until after they have delivered the work. MPs now say the DoH should regularly review their suppliers' performance and capacity to deliver.
But health minister Lord Hunt pointed out that the National Audit Office had actually praised the DoH for protecting the taxpayer through the payment-on-delivery contracts.
He added that the new IT system was already being used – particularly for electronic prescriptions and digital x-rays.
'We do not underestimate the challenges of delivering a system of this size and complexity,' Hunt said. 'We are on track to meet our broad targets… When completed it will connect more than 117,000 doctors, 397,500 nurses and 128,000 scientists and therapists – bringing benefits to 50 million patients.'
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