Press Release - The National Programme for IT in the NHS:
Progress since 2006
16 May 2008
Delivering the National Programme for IT in the NHS is proving
to be an enormous challenge. All elements of the Programme are
advancing and some are complete, but the original timescales for
the electronic Care Records Service, one of the central elements of
the Programme, turned out to be unachievable, raised unrealistic
expectations and put confidence in the Programme at risk.
Today’s progress report on the Programme by the National Audit
Office concludes that the original vision remains intact and still
appears feasible. However, it is likely to take until 2014-15
before every NHS Trust in England has fully deployed the care
records systems, four years later than planned. In the North,
Midlands and East area, the software has taken much longer to
develop than planned, so some Trusts have had to take an interim
system. Completing the development of the system and introducing it
in this area are significant challenges still to be
addressed.
The estimated cost of the Programme is £12.7 billion. The costs of
the main contracts have remained broadly unchanged, aside from the
purchase of increased functionality. Because of the delay in
deployments, actual expenditure to date (£3.6 billion by 31 March
2008) has been much lower than expected. Planned ‘go live’ dates
were missed for many of the first Trusts to take the new care
records systems and the NHS and suppliers are now increasing their
emphasis on establishing realistic timelines for deployments,
reflecting the circumstances of each individual Trust.
According to today’s report, the success of the Programme will
depend on the commitment of NHS staff. The Department’s latest
survey, conducted in spring 2007, showed that 67 per cent of nurses
and 62 per cent of doctors expected the new systems to improve
patient care. Identifying and realising the benefits of the systems
are essential to raising confidence further and convincing all
staff of the value of the Programme. The Department reported on the
benefits of the Programme for the first time in March 2008.
Tim Burr, head of the National Audit Office, said
today:
"The scale of the challenge involved in delivering the National
Programme for IT has proved to be far greater than envisaged at the
start, with serious delays in delivering the new care records
systems. Progress is being made, however, and financial savings and
other benefits are beginning to emerge. The priority now is to
finish developing and deploying care records systems that will help
NHS Trusts to achieve the Programme’s intended benefits of improved
services and better patient care."
Notes for Editors:
- The National Audit Office first report on the National
Programme for IT in the NHS was published in June 2006 and is
available at: http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/05-06/05061173.htm
- Press notices and reports are available from the date of
publication on the NAO website, which is at www.nao.org.uk. Hard
copies can be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845 702
3474.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Tim Burr, is the head of
the National Audit Office which employs some 850 staff. He and the
NAO are totally independent of Government. He certifies the
accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other
public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to
Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which
departments and other bodies have used their resources.
Press Notice 22/08
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