MP concerned over spiralling NHS IT costs

SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon has expressed concern over the spiralling cost of the National Programme for IT in the NHS - also known as 'Connecting for Health' - as a report by the National Audit Office finds that it is too soon to tell whether the project is value for money.

Mr Bacon, a member of the Commons public accounts committee, said: “The report raises more questions than it answers. The most worrying aspect is that the central contract costs now appear to be heading towards £8 billion or £9 billion”.

“Given that Connecting for Health itself has said in the past that total costs for the project, including local implementation across the country, are normally 3 to 5 times the contract costs, the overall numbers are heading into the stratosphere”.

“I do not think the quoted figure of £3.4 billion for total local implementation costs is a credible one”.

“It is astonishing that three or four years into this huge programme, they still have only a hazy notion of what the total costs are going to be”.

16 June 2006

See also:
NAO REPORT: The National Programme for IT in the NHS
PARLIAMENT:MP asks Health Secretary to block IT contract
PARLIAMENT:NHS 'fined' millions by computer companies
SPEECHES:The National Programme for IT in the NHS
SPEECHES:IT in the NHS - 29 June 2004
SPEECHES: IT in the NHS - 12 February 2004
PARLIAMENT: MP says NHS overspend on IT may hurt patients