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National Audit Office Press Notice

Department of Health: National Programme for IT in the NHS

THIS STATEMENT IS FOR IMMEDIATE USE – FRIDAY 16 JUNE 2006

Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General
HC 1173 2005-2006
16 June 2006
ISBN: 0102938288
Price: £11.25

• Full Report (760 KB)
• Executive Summary (192 KB)

The National Audit Office reported to Parliament today the results of its examination of the National Programme for IT in the NHS.

The Programme’s scope, vision and complexity are wider and more extensive than any ongoing or planned healthcare IT programme in the world and it represents the largest single IT investment in the UK to date. It is designed to deliver important financial, patient safety and service benefits.

According to today’s report by head of the NAO Sir John Bourn, the main implementation phase of the Programme and the realisation of benefits are mainly a matter for the future and it will therefore be some time before it is possible fully to assess the value for money of the Programme, as this will depend on the progress made in developing and using the systems it is intended to provide. It is therefore important for taxpayers and patients that this investment pays off, and for the Programme to be well managed and open to public scrutiny. Accordingly, the NAO has examined the progress to date in delivering the systems against the original plans and the costs of the Programme; the steps taken by the Department, NHS Connecting for Health and the NHS to deliver the Programme; how the IT systems have been procured; and how the NHS is preparing to use the systems delivered.

The NAO found that the Department and NHS Connecting for Health have made substantial progress with the Programme. Successful implementation of the Programme nevertheless continues to present significant challenges for the Department, NHS Connecting for Health and the NHS, especially in three key areas:

• Ensuring that the IT suppliers continue to deliver systems that meet the needs of the NHS, and to agreed timescales without further slippage.
• Ensuring that NHS organisations can and do fully play their part in implementing the Programme’s systems.
• Winning the support of NHS staff and the public in making the best use of the systems to improve services.
   

Sir John Bourn said today:
 

“Substantial progress has been made with the National Programme for IT. The Programme promises to revolutionise the way in which the NHS uses information to improve services and patient care. But significant challenges remain for the Department and NHS Connecting for Health.”
 

Notes for Editors:

1. 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.
2. The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, is the head of the National Audit Office which employs some 800 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 46/06
All enquiries to Barry Lester, NAO Press Office:
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