Mr Dunne said today: "The National Programme for IT is the most expensive and ambitious health information technology project in history. But like many Government IT projects, it seems out of control. Urgent remedial action is needed at the highest level if the long-term interests of NHS patients and taxpayers are to be protected."
The Committee examined the current status of the shared electronic patient clinical record; the costs of the Programme; the local management and implementation of the systems within the NHS; the extent to which clinicians were involved in developing the systems; the management of suppliers; and patient confidentiality.
The NHS needs modern IT to help it provide high quality services to patients. The National Programme for IT in the NHS was intended to provide these services, using centrally managed procurement to stimulate uptake of IT and to secure economies of scale. But it has become the largest single IT investment in the UK to date, with the cost of the Programme expected to be £12.4 billion over ten years to 2013-14.
A centralised Care Records Service is being designed to replace local NHS computer systems to enable a patient's clinical record to be available electronically throughout England to give qualified clinicians access for use in the patient's care. The Programme also aims to enable electronic prescriptions, an email and directory service for everyone within the NHS, computer accessible X-rays, and an electronic booking system for outpatient appointments.
Mr Dunne said: "The stakes are high. If it succeeds in its aims, the Programme could revolutionise the way the NHS in England uses information, and improve the quality of patient care. But if it fails, it could set back IT developments in the NHS for years, diverting massive amounts of money and staff time and energy from front line patient services."
The Committee has drawn four overall conclusions:
- The piloting and deployment of the shared electronic patient clinical record is already running two years behind schedule. In the meantime the Department has been deploying patient administration systems to help Trusts urgently requiring new systems, but these systems are not a substitute for the vision of a shared electronic patient clinical record and no firm plans have been published for deploying software to achieve this vision.
- The suppliers to the Programme are clearly struggling to deliver, and one of the largest, Accenture, has now withdrawn. The Department is unlikely to complete the Programme anywhere near its original schedule.
- The Department has much still to do to win hearts and minds in the NHS, especially among clinicians. It needs to show that it can deliver on its promises, supply solutions that are fit for purpose, learn from its mistakes, respond constructively to feedback from users in the NHS, and win the respect of a highly skilled and independently minded workforce.
- Four years after the start of the Programme, there is still much uncertainty about the costs of the Programme for the local NHS and the value of the benefits it should achieve.
Mr Dunne added: "The conclusions and recommendations in our report need to be addressed and implemented by the Department of Health if the enormous public funds being invested in the Programme are to deliver the services expected by the NHS for the benefit of patients."
