Management
Technology
- Applications
- Business Intelligence
- Development
- Hardware
- Mobile & Wireless
- Networking
- Internet
- Operating Systems
- Security Products
- Servers & Datacentre
- Storage
Toolbox
Training
Books
White Papers
Webcast
Resource Centre
March 14, 2008
NHS IT suppliers face £1.5bn shortfall
Payment for working systems only leaves chancellor quids in
By Leo King
The government has paid suppliers £1.5bn less than planned for the National Programme for IT in the NHS.
Advert
Suppliers have been paid £1.29bn according to the National Programme for IT (NpFIT) Benefits Statement 2006/07, published this week. This is less than half the £2.82bn originally forecast in March 2004. The NHS has also paid £390.8m to suppliers as advanced payments ahead of work.
Systems and number of installations to March 2007
- Electronic Prescription Service 4,108
- Choose and Book 8,042
- GP Systems 632
- Map of Medicine 432
- Single Assessment Process systems 44
- GP2GP Record Transfer 619
- Patient Administration Systems 118
- Picture Archiving and Communications System 88
- Radiology systems 16
- Theatre systems 18
- Accident and Emergency systems 5
- Ambulance Electronic Communication System 3
- Community Systems 3
- Child Health Systems 43
- Data Miner systems 6
- Tray Management systems 1
- Portal systems 4
- Prisons systems 14
- Order Communications systems 4 TOTAL 14,236
Source: National Programme for IT in the NHS - Benefits Statement 2006/07
The shortfall is because the suppliers on the project, which include CSC, BT and Fujitsu, are typically not paid until their software is up and running.
The NHS National Programme for IT systems installed up to March last year, allowed the NHS to save £208m on IT costs, a Department of Health report said.
The DoH gathered data from one in five of the NHS trusts that have implemented new IT under the programme.
It said that the NHS had saved £192m through the delivery of the national network, which underpins many applications, £14m through the use of digital imaging and scans, and £617,000 through a reduction in software licensing and hardware maintenance costs.
The government has forecast that savings made by the NHS will rise to £1.14bn by 2014. It is estimated that the cost for the NPfIT will be £12.4bn by 2012.
Some 18,000 locations were connected to N3, the national network and new systems in GP practices and systems for digital x-rays and scans in hospitals have been added. NHS executives said more frontline systems are to come now that the “foundations” have been laid.
David Nicholson, chief executive at the NHS, said the report showed that the health service was making “really solid progress” in delivering an integrated IT system.
Now read:
Government calls on NHS IT contractors to spell out delivery deadlines
NHS computer programme brings critics on board
NHS leader defends IT plan despite latest data breaches
Follow highlights from ComputerworldUK on Twitter
Sign up for our Daily Newsletter
The UK IT News widget Get it for your site!
« prev article | more government & law news | next article »
Advert
Email this article to a friend or colleague:
PLEASE NOTE: Your name is used only to let the recipient know who sent the story, and in case of transmission error. Both your name and the recipient's name and address will not be used for any other purpose.
- This article is now being printed.
What are your views on this subject? Use the form below to post a comment on this article up to 1000 characters.
Click below to add 'NHS IT suppliers face £1.5bn shortfall - Public sector organisations - ComputerworldUK' to your blog.
If you do not have a ComputerworldUK Account and would like to use this feature, please Register.
If you are a registered, logged-in user, this will post the title and first paragraph of this story to your blog to share with your readers.
Advert
Newsletters
Sign up to our Weekly Round-Up for the past week’s not-to-be-missed news analysis and insight delivered straight to your inbox.
WHITE PAPERS
-
Legal risks: Employee use of the internet and email
Exploring the challenges facing IT Mangers today and vital steps to ensure safe internet an email use by employees. -
Phishing for victims
This White Paper examines the phenomenon of phishing. It explains the potentially catastrophic threat it presents to all kinds of organisation. Exploding some widespread myths, it lights up the murky waters where phishing first emerged and where it continues to evolve. But it also highlights what your business can do to blunt the threat.
