Warning over fresh NHS IT delays

[Barman]

The introduction of computerised NHS patient records in England could be hit by more delays, MPs warn.

The Committee on Public Accounts has thrown fresh doubt on a 2015 deadline for the ambitious project.

Its chairman said that even in trusts already using parts of the system, staff were unimpressed and the cost to the NHS was uncertain.

Source

Just listened to a very sensible guy from the public accounts committee on 'Today' talking about this...

He (unlike the BBC reporters all morning who said that the £12B had already been spent) really understood the thing and knew what was going on - most impressed...

He said basically that the decision to go ahead was made in about half an hour in a meeting in Downing Street (no surprise there then)...

He said that 'it will never work in its current form'...

He said that 'the only benefit of such a system is at the local level'...

He said that 'local projects to an agreed standard would provide a valuable system'...

We've all been saying for years that HMG can't do IT and this will never work yet we are still throwing billions at it... 

[Snoopy]

Yup! I heard it too ~ but then we knew all that. Still no solution though.

Knowing the problem is only halfway to solving the problem.

The contracts should be put on hold, a rethink ordered and a "local" system that is mostly in place and working substituted for the "grand plan". Mind you the compo payable to the contractors (only one of whom has had the professional courage and the integrity to walk away from what it knew would not work) will probably cost more than letting them carry on because they will also want compo for the ongoing operating and maintenance that they have been promised once they have built the damned thing.

[Grumpmeister]

A single grand NHS IT network looks like a great idea on paper, at least as long as you have as much knowledge of IT systems as I do about string theory but the reality is that you are talking about a massively complex countrywide network. From a logistical and security standpoint the whole thing is a nightmare. But as long as it looks like the government is doing something to improve the NHS then lets keep throwing millions at the project that could be far better spent on developing a more local system and using the money left over to pay for extra clinical staff and equipment.