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  MP concerned over spiralling NHS IT costs  

MP says records system may put patients at risk
Connecting for Health is intended
to replace patients' paper records

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 today: “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:
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

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